plantpot

How often and where? Usually covered by insurance or not? general price? Can't believe how speckled women and men my age are....it scares me....:

Kooky.

plantpot I noticed a clinic in Chatswood when I was mooching about yesterday. If only I could remember where it is. Have a google. If you can't find one, there's definitely one at Greenwood Plaza.

(My arm is flaking nicely. Just the one. )

plantpot

Should have phoned you, I KNEW you would know!!! .....At least your arm is not sepckled....

BTW everyone I live near Chatswood so anywhere round there would be good.....

bcworld

The state of a lot of old people in Aus's skin is terrifying.

A skin cancer check generally costs the same as a GP consultation e.g $55 of which medicare will pay back about $32. Or you may also find a bulk billing clinic in which case it will cost you nothing.

Checks are one yearly although if you are high risk or have suspect moles etc you may have to go for 3 or 6 monthly check ups. Personally for the sake of $23 I would go every 6 months anyway but I tick all the high risk boxes.

Kooky.

Not sure what bcworld is insinuating there, plantpot.


I should go too. 6 years in Asia hasn't done my skin much good; although I hardly ever sunbathed it can be hard to avoid the sun ALL the time. e.g., when you're having lunch and think you are under cover and protected on NYE.

plantpot

Aww I am not OLD...I am 34, I was even thinking the skin of those the ssame age as myself.....

Thanks for the info and the pricing....seems reasonable....what age do you go from? As in do kids go? I would have thought they do....??

Cheetah7

Try and find a clinic that does 'mole mapping' - where they map every one of your moles - I dont know how they do this scan/mapping but I am going for my first mole map in February.

This monitors every single one of your existing ones and then when you have your next mapping, it will pick up any new moles.

I have to go twice yearly and think for the sake of $120, mole mapping is essential if you have lots of moles. It is not covered by medicare but Im going to do it anyway.

plantpot

Good tip thanks...I only have about 2 but you never know do you?!

Cheetah7

I am covered in moles and went to have a check in Sept, he observed two and said to come back in 3 months.

They looked normal to me but I went back in 3 months and he said one had grown and needed to come off.

He cut it out two hours later and sent it off, I phoned a week later and was told by the receptionist that it was normal.

Doctor called hours after that and said it was not normal, wasnt abnormal but would have more than likely turned to malignant melanoma and that I am an extremely high risk from the aggressive form of cancer, that its genetic.

He described me as a 'ticking time bomb' and the next mole he removes could well be worse.

Bloody scary but this would have happened in the UK and coming here probably saved my life to be honest, no way would my GP have picked up on that - no way at all.

I have to take a sarong to drape on my shoulders when we go out, I have to swim in a rash vest and board shorts and really look after my skin.

So in my opinion, whatever it costs I will do it in order to protect myself.

ABCDiamond

We have ours done every year, which is the normal time span, unless the doctor says come back earlier.
I had to do a 3 month re-check recently, but I was OK

Our doctor bulk bills, so we pay nothing.

They record photos of all the moles on computer, so they can recheck them at the next appointment, to see if they have changed in size.

RenShen

I know that I am VERY cynical but with regard to the mole mapping, isn't there a significant chance that they could over inflate your risk to ensure that you continue to pay to have it done? I might be way off here but if the lab said the mole was clear, how could the doctor make such a dire prediction?

ABCDiamond

The skin doctor is just the first stage in the detection process, they look at magnified photos of the mole, and look for changes.

Any significant changes will require further testing by a specialist, with much more sophisticated equipment.

It tends to be a case of "better safe than sorry".

Cheetah7

My mole wasnt clear, the receptionist got it wrong.

Im having the mole mapping done as I have so many moles - hundreds that need observing and I cant do it myself, this mole mapping allows for detection and monitoring of new moles.

I trust this doctor, he diagnosed my colleagues Malignant melanoma - advanced and by doing so, saved his life.