The team at Skin Surgery Associates are world-leading experts in skin cancer diagnosis and management. Dr Barlow and Dr Kiely hold substantive NHS posts at St Johns Institute of Dermatology in the Cancer Centre at Guys Hospital.

​

 

How is skin cancer diagnosed?

 

Skin cancer is best diagnosed early and when it is easily treated.  If you have a skin cancer at a more advanced stage you may require further surgery or scans. 

 

 

Who needs a skin check?

 

You should have your skin checked:

• If you are concerned about a new, changing or symptomatic (hurting, itching bleeding) mole or lesion 

• If you have had skin cancer in the past because you are at risk of getting new skin cancers

• If a new lesion has appeared and doesn’t resolve after a few weeks. Skin cancers such as basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma can appear as unremarkable skin blemishes that are unresolving and may eventually, scab, ulcerate or bleed.

 

 

Common skin cancers

​

• Basal Cell Carcinoma

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Melanoma

 

 

If your biopsy confirms that you have a skin cancer, we will discuss with you the options for treatment. These may include excision or Mohs micrographic surgery.

​

 

Excision 

​

A skin excision is a removal of a lesion under local anaesthetic.  The area is numbed with injection of local anaesthetic and the lesion is removed using a technique to allow the most cosmetically pleasing scar.  The type of cancer determines the size of the margin of normal appearing skin which is excised around the clinical border of the lesion.