58-year-old Philip had never thought much about the moles on his body. But after some close family members were diagnosed with skin cancer, he decided the time was right to have a full skin check with Check4Cancer.
Although he had no worrisome symptoms, friends and loved ones urged him to prioritise his health and be proactive with cancer checks. Philip also remembers being a child and not wearing sunscreen — with a vivid childhood memory of peeling skin during the summer months.
Time to attend the appointment
With a convenient appointment booked and only a half-hour journey from home, Philip was all set to see our Check4Cancer specialist skin cancer nurse.
First, a thorough check of his skin was completed and Philip was free to ask any questions throughout the appointment. The nurse drew attention to the areas of concern, including one mole on his shoulder blade which would have been impossible for Philip to see himself.
The nurse also took dermoscopic images of two or three moles that needed further assessment.
Waiting for the results
The wait for the results was short and after an initial phone call to confirm them, a follow-up letter was received. Philip was invited to attend a face-to-face appointment with a skin cancer specialist in Chichester so that they could provide further advice based on his results.
When Philip’s results came back as borderline melanoma, he knew that his proactive approach meant he’d caught it early — giving treatment the best chance to work. The advice from the specialist was to see a plastic surgeon who could examine the moles further. So, an appointment was made and Philip was on their way to the next step in their Check4Cancer journey.
Further testing of the mole
After assessing the mole, the plastic surgeon found that it wasn’t an immediate problem, but it still should be removed.
Reassured by their advice that this wasn’t life-threatening, Philip decided to consider his options carefully before having the mole removed. As Philip knew a dermatologist, he asked him for further advice. However, the dermatologist agreed that it probably was best to remove it and took a biopsy as a precaution.
A surprising result
With the results back, Philip was surprised to find out that the mole was actually early-stage melanoma. A follow-up appointment for a wide excision was booked to stop it from spreading any further.
Although the outcome sounds scary, Philip revealed that he felt reassured throughout the process and that the results showed him the benefits of being proactive with his health. Philip also believes that there is a lack of awareness of melanoma and how simple it can be to have your skin checked.
Philip thinks that being older meant that he didn’t realise the impact not protecting your skin could have. Now a firm sunscreen user, Philip encourages all his children to do the same and wishes he knew sooner that a full-body skin check was an option.
With our full-body skin checks at Check4Cancer, there’s no waiting for GP appointments or long waitlists that never end. You can take matters into your own hands and protect yourself from skin cancer.
Book your full-body skin check with Check4Cancer today and take the right steps to prioritise your health.
