Skin Cancer

The specialists practicing at Valley Plastic Surgery have performed countless skin cancer removal operations.

Skin lesion surgery is generally rebatable by Medicare, so be sure to get a GP referral prior to attending your consultation.

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma.

Basal cell carcinomas are the commonest skin cancer and are typically found on the face, ears, neck, scalp, legs and back. They rarely spread but may invade deeply if left too long. Some early BCC’s can be treated without surgery but most are best treated with surgical excision.

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC’s) are the second commonest skin cancer and are more aggressive than basal cell carcinoma. The great majority of SCC’s don’t spread but occasionally they can spread to other areas of the body such as the lymph glands or invade deeply. Some early SCC’s can be treated without surgery but most require surgical excision.

Melanoma usually presents as a dark lesion and it is an aggressive form of skin cancer. If detected early and excised, a cure is obtained. If detected late, the melanoma may spread to the surrounding lymph glands or other organs. All melanoma are treated with aggressive surgical excision of the lesion. Occasionally, the local lymph nodes are removed. Unlike most SCC’s and BCC’s, patients with melanomas need to have long term monitoring to assess whether the cancer returns.