Skin cancer check: Australia's frontline.

A skin cancer check is a systematic, full-body examination of the skin, usually with dermoscopy and, increasingly, total body photography, to detect skin cancers early. Australia has among the highest melanoma rates in the world, which makes regular skin checks especially valuable here.

Why skin checks matter in Australia

Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers are extremely common in Australia. Detected early, most skin cancers are highly treatable; detected late, melanoma in particular can be life-threatening. Regular, thorough checks are a high-value, low-risk form of prevention.

What the evidence and best practice show

• Dermoscopy: improves diagnostic accuracy for melanoma compared with the naked eye when used by trained clinicians.
• Total body photography and sequential imaging: help detect change over time in people with many moles or higher risk.
• Early detection: thinner melanomas at diagnosis are associated with far better outcomes, underpinning the value of regular checks in high-risk individuals.

Evidence-based reference ranges

A skin check is not scored numerically; each lesion is assessed and categorised:

Clinical interpretation

• Most lesions found are benign, but suspicious lesions are biopsied or removed to confirm the diagnosis.
• People with fair skin, many moles, prior skin cancer or significant sun exposure benefit from more frequent checks.
• Self-checks between appointments matter. Report any new or changing spot promptly using the "ABCDE" signs.

How this works at HodieLabs

A full-body skin cancer check is offered as an add-on to any HodieLabs membership, using dermoscopy and 3D total body photography to track changes over time at our Melbourne Preventative Health & Longevity Clinic.

References

1. Vestergaard ME, et al. Dermoscopy compared with naked eye examination for the diagnosis of melanoma. Br J Dermatol. 2008;159:669–676.
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Skin cancer in Australia (national incidence data).
3. Cancer Council Australia clinical practice guidelines for the management of melanoma.

This page is general information from the HodieLabs Evidence-Based Clinical Library, not medical advice. Speak with your GP about what testing and care is appropriate for you.