How to Prepare for Your First Skin Cancer Screening

There’s an easy way to defend yourself against skin cancer, the most common kind of cancer in the United States: Get an annual skin cancer screening. Here, we look at how to prepare for that visit.

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer across the country. Fortunately, if you catch it early, it’s highly treatable. Identifying skin cancer before it spreads allows your dermatologist to remove that cancerous patch of cells, protecting your overall health.

That’s why experts recommend annual skin cancer screenings. Fortunately, this preventive measure is convenient and comfortable. It simply means having a dermatologist check your skin for signs of unusual cell growth, which could indicate cancerous cells.

We offer these screenings right here at Atlantic Dermatology in Longs, South Carolina. At our office, Kenneth Warrick, MD, FAAD, applies his expertise in skin cancer to check your skin and identify any warning signs.

If you’ve never had this type of screening, you’re probably wondering what your appointment will entail. Here are some tips to help you prepare.

#1: Do a check yourself

While Dr. Warrick does a thorough analysis of your skin, one of the top warning signs of cancer is changing moles. Because Dr. Warrick is seeing your skin for the first time, he won’t know if a mole is bigger, darker, or otherwise different than it was before.

To set yourself up for success at your appointment, first do a self-check. Look all over your body to identify any moles, shiny patches, or other skin irregularities. Do this today, then perform another self-exam in a couple of weeks. Look for changes. If you notice any, be sure to tell Dr. Warrick about them.

#2: Wear something comfortable

So he can fully evaluate your skin, Dr. Warrick usually has you change into a gown for your skin cancer screening. Most people find it easiest to get undressed and into the gown if they start in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.

#3: Know what happens if we find something

If Dr. Warrick finds something that looks like it could be skin cancer, you don’t need to panic. Usually, the next step is to take a skin sample and evaluate it more closely at a lab. It might not be cancerous, but we let you know as soon as we get your results.

Even if it is cancerous, you have a 99% survival rate if we catch it before it spreads. Here at our office, Dr. Warrick and our team have a variety of ways to remove the cancerous cells so they don’t have the chance to move to other parts of your body. We can freeze them and cut them out, for example.

Dr. Warrick recommends the right skin cancer treatment for your specific skin and the seriousness of your cancerous growth. In every case, though, the sooner we catch it, the easier it is to treat.

So don’t wait to schedule your first skin cancer screening. Call our office today or use our online booking feature anytime.