Skin Cancer Medicine

Newstead Medical provides comprehensive skin cancer surveillance including mole mapping by our qualified doctors. We perform surgical excision of all skin cancer types.

Dr Ellie Khalili

Dr Ellie relocated from Queensland in 2023 and has a special interest in Skin Cancer Medicine. She has an Advanced Clinical Certificate of Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery and an Advanced Clinical Certificate of Dermatoscopy with the SCCA. She is in the final stages of her Diploma of Skin Cancer Surgery.

Mole Mapping

Mole mapping, or photographic skin surveillance, is the process of taking a series of high-resolution digital photographs to document the entire body and record the location of moles and other skin lesions. Mole mapping should always be performed in conjunction with a full body skin check, so your skin doctor can take close-up dermatoscope images to link to the mole mapping images and create a map of your moles. Depending on the patient’s medical history, mole mapping is generally performed again 6-12 months later to compare, assess, and detect any changes in your skin.

At Newstead Medical, we use DermEngine software to capture, map, analyze and safely secure your total body images. After your full skin check and mole mapping appointment, your skin doctor will carefully review and evaluate your images. Mole mapping takes approximately half an hour to perform and is non-invasive. Many patients choose to have both a full body skin check and mole mapping to enhance the likelihood of detecting any early changes in their skin, but it is particularly recommended for individuals with a previous history of skin cancer or who are at high risk of developing skin cancer. If you are unsure whether you require mole mapping, your skin doctor can advise if it is recommended for you during your skin check appointment.

To enable the most accurate assessment of your skin, we recommend you prepare for your mole mapping appointment by:

• Not wearing or removing any make-up, nail polish and/or tanning products before attending your appointment
•  Wearing plain coloured underwear to your appointment to avoid colours potentially interfering with DermEngine’s ability to record and analyse your images.

Unfortunately, Medicare does not currently pay any rebate on mole mapping though some private health rebates may apply.

Preparing for your Appointment

To get the most out of your skin check, consider checking your own skin first so you can point out the skin spots that you are concerned about. It is not routine for the doctor to examine your genitals and breasts; however, skin cancers sometimes do occur in these areas. We encourage you to check your genitals and breasts prior to your full-body skin check, and the doctor will check any skin spots that you have noticed.

Please visit the following independent website on skin self-examination: www.scanyourskin.org

On the day of your skin check appointment

On the day of your skin check, your skin mustn’t be covered by foundation, other makeup, or nail polish. Any make-up worn will need to be removed at the practice and re-applied after your consultation if required.

A skin check generally starts with assessing your skin cancer risk and reviewing your general medical history, including any medication. The latter is not only for consideration of your risk of skin cancer but also for any biopsies or procedures that may be required in the future. Each doctor has their routine for carrying out a skin check, but generally, the skin will be checked using a handheld skin microscope called a dermatoscope. As outlined previously, genitals and breasts will not be routinely examined, but please advise the doctor if you are concerned about any lesions or want any additional areas of the skin examined.

You may wish to have only one spot examined and the doctor will not force you to undergo a full skin examination, however, a full skin examination is highly recommended as most cancers found are not detected by the patient.

If a lesion is found

In the unfortunate instance that a suspicious lesion is identified, the doctor will recommend a biopsy of this lesion. You may also have skin cancer that is undetectable at the time of your skin check. Although most skin cancers take several years to develop or become invasive, some aggressive types can develop in several months therefore it is important to not become complacent and continue to keep an eye out for changing lesions in between your skin checks.

Skin check checklist

Please complete this form to bring to your appointment:

Fees

Excision fees vary based on the lesion excised. Our reception team can provide an estimate of out-of-pocket fees upon booking your procedure.