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Skin cancer - suspected - Management
General recommendations
- A patient presenting with skin lesions suggestive of skin cancer or in whom a biopsy has been confirmed should be referred to a team specialising in skin cancer (D).
- All primary healthcare professionals should be aware of the 7-point weighted checklist for assessment of pigmented skin lesions (C).
- All primary healthcare professionals who perform minor surgery should have received appropriate accredited training in relevant aspects of skin surgery including cryotherapy, curettage, and incisional and excisional biopsy techniques, and should undertake appropriate continuing professional development (D).
- Patients with persistent or slowly evolving unresponsive skin conditions in which the diagnosis is uncertain and cancer is a possibility should be referred to a dermatologist (D).
- All excised skin specimens should be sent for pathological examination (C [DS]).
- On making a referral of a patient in whom an excised lesion has been diagnosed as malignant, a copy of the pathology report should be sent with the referral correspondence, as there may be details (such as tumour thickness, excision margin) that will specifically influence future management (D).
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