Skin Cancer Screening
Skin cancer is a major concern, especially for people who live in sunny states like Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to skin cancer, and cancer screening should be done at least twice each year if other family members have been diagnosed with skin cancer in the past.
Physical Screening
A physical screening is done at a dermatologist's office. The patient will dress in a hospital gown, and the first thing he will do is inspect the entire body looking for any abnormalities on the skin.
Questionnaire
The person being examined will be asked a series of questions about their family medical history. Knowing family history is important to help prevent and diagnose skin cancer early.
How are moles inspected?
Doctors use a chart in order to decide if a mole might be cancerous or not. There are four main things to look for such as asymmetry, border irregularity, color and diameter. This method is also known as the A-B-C-D. If the mole is uneven in color, not symmetrical, has an uneven border and is large in size, some of the growth is removed for a biopsy.
Biopsy
When a biopsy is needed the doctor will scrape off a small sample of cells from the growth. This sample will then be sent to a lab, and results usually take one to two weeks.
Cost
A skin cancer screening is relatively inexpensive. Insurance cover this procedure and the out of pocket cost is usually less than $150 for an office visit. A person can also take preventative steps by inspecting her own skin after getting out of the shower.
Tags: skin cancer, Skin Cancer Screening
