Should You Get A Skin Cancer Screening?
A skin cancer screening can be an important part of your overall health and well-being. If you have skin cancer, you want to catch it early so it can be treated more successfully and you can go into remission or become cancer-free much sooner. Most skin cancer issues require removing the affected skin once a biopsy confirms a skin cancer of some kind. This means the longer it takes skin cancer to be discovered and diagnosed, the more likely you'll be to have large areas of skin removed and possibly have a skin graft or other reconstructive surgery done to repair the issue.
Anyone can get a skin cancer screening at any time in a dermatologist's office. However, not everyone knows they have skin cancer until it has progressed, and early intervention is key. If you have a family history of skin cancer or have had skin cancer in the past, you should get a skin cancer screening done. You may also need to get a skin cancer screening if any of the following apply to you.
You have strange new spots or textures on your skin
Just because you have a new spot or textured area on your skin doesn't mean you have skin cancer, but if the spots are on your ears, nose, or other skin cancer-prone areas of your face, then you may have skin cancer and a skin cancer screening is the best way to get peace of mind. Your skin cancer specialist will assist you in making the most of your appointment and will do a visual check for skin cancer before sending off a biopsy for a skin cancer screening test, if applicable.
You have painful or bleeding spots of skin
If any of your skin is painful or bleeding for no reason and these areas just won't heal, then you should have a skin cancer screening done. You don't know if you just have a scab or lesion bothering you, and at any rate, it's important to have your skin checked out by your dermatologist so you can rule out other issues and have the condition treated. Your skin cancer screening test will help narrow down what your condition is and help you feel more confident in your skin by treating the condition well.
Let your dermatologist know what your concerns are when making your skin cancer screening and potential treatment appointment. The more open you are about your concerns, the more care you can receive.
