Our three skin cancer clinics are located across the northside of Brisbane. Call us through 1300 754 000 or book online for your skin check.

Melanoma Scan Toombul

9 Parkland St
Nundah Qld 4012
07 3256 6766

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Melanoma Scan Mitchelton

Unit 1,
23 Blackwood Street, 
Mitchelton 4053
07 3855 8500

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Melanoma Scan Warner

1405 Old North Road, 
Warner 4500
07 3106 1340

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Adjacent to Century 21 Real Estate and the Warner Plaza Shopping Centre

Some Skin Cancer Frequently Asked Questions

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is a group of skin cells that have been damaged in a way that results in uncontrolled growth.  Depending on the type of skin cancer, this can result in spread to distant sites in the body or locally destructive growth.  Either forms of spread can result in damage to the body and eventual death if not treated.

What causes skin cancer?

The vast majority of skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet light in the form of sun exposure but also from artificial sources such as solariums and arc welding.  Other causes of skin cancer include exposure to cancer causing chemicals such as arsenic, or ionising radiation.  These causes are much less common than ordinary sunburn from the sun. Many Australians are burnt on a regular basis, and sunburns are often associated with outdoor activities we spend our leisure time doing, such as outdoor sports, gardening and swimming.  Many outdoor workers are also burnt frequently although workplace health and safety prevention has helped to some degree.

What is sun burn and how can I prevent it?

Sunburn is the reaction of your skin to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Depending on your skin type and the season, sunburn can occur after as little as ten minutes of sun exposure if adequate protection is not provided. Fair skin types and people with light coloured hair and eyes are the most prone to sun burn and hence to the subsequent development of skin cancer.  Most Australians are aware of the danger of sun exposure, but sun burn is still very common because people underestimate the amount of ultraviolet radiation they are exposing themselves to.  This includes days when it is overcast, cooler or windy, when the burning effects of the sun may not be noticed before a sunburn has already happened.  All sunburns cause damage to the cells of your skin, and these changes include damage to the DNA of your cells.  Over many years, enough damage to the DNA of your cells can accumulate to cause a skin cancer to develop.  Many older people experience skin cancers many years after the activities that caused them have stopped, and may continue to have skin cancers appear from time to time despite minimal sun exposure.

Prevention of sun burn is through covering your skin with clothing, hats and sunglasses or through the use of sunscreens at all times when ultraviolet light is intense enough to damage your skin.  This is typically between 10am and 3pm although this varies with season and climate.  Here in Queensland in the summer months the UV index may be extreme from early morning though to early evening

Skin cancers are managed with either destructive methods or excision.  Radiation therapy is use in limited circumstances for aggressive skin cancer or for treatment of skin cancers where surgery or curettage is inappropriate or not possible. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common skin cancer, and often occur in elderly people who have had extensive sun exposure over their lifetimes.

Unsightly lumps and bumps can affect your self confidence and can often be painful and annoying. At Melanoma Scan we can remove these lumps and bumps with simple procedures.

The Melanoma Scan doctor and nurse will give you detailed instructions on how to care for your wound to reduce scarring. 

Shave excisions

With Shave excisions, the best results can be achieved using moist wound healing, using antibiotic ointments such as chloromycetin ointment or otocomb on high risk areas for infection, or using strataderm or stratamed silicone containing gels for areas at risk of keloid scarring.  For some areas simple moist wound dressings using Vaseline, antiseptic creams or pawpaw ointment may be a low cost and suitable alternative.  Your doctor will recommend the treatment that he believes is most suitable for your particular wound and situation.

Ellipse excisions

With ellipse excisions, taping is an important aspect of wound care to prevent a stretched up scar despite the support of the deep sutures. Equally important is abstaining where possible from exercise for up to 6 weeks following surgery.  That may not always be possible with people engaged in manual work, but often with care and getting assistance with lifting and carrying, stretching of the scar can be minimised.

Keloid scarring is a feared outcome for all excisions, however is very uncommon outside of a small group of people who appear to be prone to them.  In this group, silicone gels are utilised and the wound is reviewed 3-4 weeks after surgery to see if there is any sign of keloid formation, which can often appear after apparently normal early healing as a raised red itchy and uncomfortable scar.  Occasionally steroid injections may be used to halt keloid formation or reduce an established keloid scar, but the results are not always satisfactory in this keloid prone group of patients.

Melanoma Scan - Skin Cancer Clinic

For further information, please feel free to Contact Us or follow the link to request an appointment by clicking Book Now.

What is skin cancer?

Melanoma Scan doctors are dedicated skin cancer doctors, who are focussed on giving you the best outcome of your mole removal. 

Whether it is a cosmetic shave excision, or a biopsy to diagnose or exclude melanoma, your doctor will provide you with the best experience possible under the circumstances, and the piece of mind that your mole will always be tested to exclude the possibility of melanoma or other skin cancer in the tissue.

We are dedicated to giving you the best possible cosmetic outcome as well, especially where the mole is removed from the face or body because it is raised and getting traumatised or just generally “in the way”.  In these examples, our primary focus is on achieving an excellent cosmetic outcome. 

Where melanoma is a possibility, the focus is on giving the pathologist the whole lesion to analyse, so a larger wound may be required, which of course can take longer to heal, but will ensure that the most accurate diagnosis is achieved. Your doctor will guide you through the process step by step to ensure it is pain free and minimise inconvenience.

Melanoma Scan - Skin Cancer Clinic

For further information, please feel free to Contact Us or follow the link to request an appointment by clicking Book Now.