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Skin Cancer

 

If you have been referred to the dermatology department with a localised abnormal area on your skin (sometimes called a skin lesion), that your GP thinks could be skin cancer, you might be offered an appointment to attend in person for further assessment.

You will be seen in a clinic by a Consultant Dermatologist and/or one of their team of clinicians, which includes other doctors and Clinical Nurse Specialists; medical students might also be present. The skin lesion(s) will be checked and you might be offered a full skin check – you can also request this is you wish.

 

If the clinician suspects skin cancer or precancerous changes, there are several possible next steps that you might be offered, depending on the suspected diagnosis, including:

  • Surgical removal of the skin lesion at Glamorgan House (usually on a different day)
  • A biopsy in the clinic – simple surgical procedures are sometimes carried out during your clinic appointment
  • Prescription of a cream to treat your condition
  • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen in the clinic, to treat the lesion(s)
  • A type of light treatment called photodynamic therapy, which would be carried out on a different day
  • Referral to another department for further assessment/treatment
  • Monitoring of the lesion

If there is more than one suitable option for you, your clinician will discuss the risks and benefits of each option with you to help you to make a decision.

We might suggest having clinical photographs as part of your clinic appointment, which are normally carried out in Glamorgan House, by a Medical Photographer. The photographs are used to refer back to following treatment (for example to check that, or to allow us to monitor changes in your skin lesions – we most frequently do this with moles (melanocytic naevi).

 

If you are confirmed to have skin cancer, you will usually be given an appointment to discuss further treatment and follow-up; for some less serious skin cancers, you might be informed by letter. You might also be allocated a Key Worker, who is a Clinical Nurse Specialist who specialises in skin cancer. Their role is to support you following your skin cancer diagnosis and offer you an Holistic Needs Assessment. Most skin cancers carry a very good prognosis and as a team we will do our best to support you throughout your care.

 

Please allow up to 2 hours for your appointment, in order to accommodate the possibility of photographs, possible treatment in clinic and unpredictable delays.

 

Please be aware that if the clinician is confident that you do not have skin cancer, you will not be offered treatment of any benign lesions, as capacity to treat patients is limited and people with suspected skin cancer must take priority.

 

Patient Information
 
How to perform a Self Skin Check
How to check your lymph nodes

 

 

Supporting info for patients with skin cancer or at risk of skin cancer:

BAD - Patient Information Leaflets cover many skin conditions and cancers.

Information and Support Centres - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

 
Charities:
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