Skin Cancer Awareness: A Guide for Brighton Residents

Understanding Moles and Skin Changes

If you are worried about a mole, read this part first. If a mole is changing, growing, bleeding, itching, or looks different from your others, see your GP. Do not wait for a private appointment. Do not wait for it to settle. Your GP can refer you on the NHS urgent suspected cancer pathway, designed to have you seen within two weeks. This pathway is the right route and it is free.

A private mole check is useful for surveillance, reassurance, and speed of assessment. However, it does not replace that referral. If we see something suspicious at Dr Selvi Clinic, we will tell you directly and ensure you are on the urgent pathway.

Checking Your Own Skin: The ABCDE Method

To check your skin effectively, use the ABCDE method:

• Asymmetry: One half does not match the other.

• Border: Edges that are irregular, blurred, or notched rather than smooth.

• Colour: More than one colour in the same lesion or uneven shades of brown, black, red, white, or blue.

• Diameter: Larger than about 6mm, though small melanomas exist, and size alone is not reassuring.

• Evolving: Any change in size, shape, colour, sensation, or surface over weeks to months. This is the most important letter of the five.

  
  

Alongside ABCDE, use the ugly duckling sign. Most people’s moles look like siblings. The one that clearly does not belong in the family deserves a look, even if it passes every other test.

Also worth attention: a sore that has not healed in four weeks, a scaly or crusted patch that keeps returning, a pearly or shiny lump that bleeds easily, and any new pigmented streak under a nail. Not all skin cancer is a mole.

What is Dermoscopy?

Dermoscopy is a valuable tool in skin assessments. A dermatoscope is a handheld device with magnification and polarized light. It allows clinicians to see structures beneath the skin's surface, which are invisible to the naked eye. Patterns in pigment networks, vessels, and colour distribution help distinguish most benign lesions from concerning ones more reliably than simply looking at a mole from a distance.

It is important to note that dermoscopy is a clinical assessment tool, not a definitive diagnosis. While it improves accuracy in trained hands, the only definitive answer for a suspicious lesion is histology after excision. Anyone who claims a scan can rule out melanoma with certainty is overselling it.

The same applies to smartphone apps that claim to assess moles from photographs. They are not a substitute for a thorough examination. A falsely reassuring result can cost valuable time.

What Happens During a Mole Check?

During a mole check, several steps are taken:

• History: We discuss your sun exposure, sunbed use, family history of skin cancer, medications that suppress immunity, and any changes you've noticed.

• Examination: We examine the lesion you are worried about and usually take a wider look at the surrounding skin. People often present with the least concerning lesion.

• Dermoscopy: We perform a dermoscopic assessment, recording images for comparison at a later visit.

• Clear Outcome: We provide a clear outcome: benign and no action needed, benign but worth photographing and reviewing in three to six months, or suspicious and needing urgent referral.

  
  

We do not remove pigmented lesions for cosmetic reasons alone. Anything that is removed is sent for histology. Removing a mole without examining it under a microscope destroys the evidence. A shave removal of an unrecognized melanoma is a serious problem. Any clinic offering to zap moles off with a laser for appearance should be avoided.

Who Should Be Checked Regularly?

Certain individuals should consider regular checks:

• Those with fair skin that burns easily, red or blond hair, and freckling.

• Individuals with a large number of moles, particularly more than fifty, or several atypical ones.

• Anyone with a personal or family history of melanoma or other skin cancers.

• Those with a history of sunbed use or severe sunburn, especially in childhood.

• Individuals with immunosuppression, including after an organ transplant.

• Outdoor workers and people who spend long hours on the water, which is common in Brighton and along the Sussex coast.

  
  

Prevention: The Best Approach

Prevention plays a crucial role in skin health. Here are some tips:

• Use daily SPF30 or higher on your face, neck, and hands.

• Reapply sunscreen every two hours in strong sun.

• Seek shade during the middle of the day.

• Wear protective clothing instead of relying solely on sunscreen.

• Avoid sunbeds entirely.

• Conduct a monthly self-check, ideally with someone else checking your back and scalp, as these areas are often missed.

  
  

Mole Checks in Brighton

Dr Selvi Clinic is located at 57B London Road, Brighton BN1 4JE. Assessments are carried out by an ECFMG-registered doctor using dermoscopy, with a clear written outcome. If anything looks suspicious, we will say so plainly and ensure you are referred urgently.

Contact us to book an appointment. Remember, early detection is key to successful treatment. Your skin health is important, and we are here to help you maintain it.