Skin Cancer Screening
Reviewed
Also called: Skin exam, Skin cancer check, Full-body skin examination, Mole check, Dermatologic screening
A skin cancer screening checks your skin for signs of skin cancer before you have any symptoms.
Specimen: None (visual skin examination)
Why this test may be ordered
- To check for signs of skin cancer before symptoms appear
- To monitor individuals with a personal or family history of skin cancer
- To evaluate suspicious moles or skin changes noticed during self-exam
- To screen people at higher risk due to sun exposure, fair skin, or other factors
Preparation and collection
You should not wear makeup or nail polish. You will need to have your hair loose so your scalp can be checked.
For a skin cancer screening by a provider, you'll remove your clothing and put on a gown. Your provider will do a full exam that includes your scalp, behind your ears, fingers, buttocks, and feet.
Skin cancer screening isn't always helpful and can result in unnecessary treatments. For example, your provider could find a cancer that would never cause health problems and treat it with chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.
Understanding results
In some cases, your screening test results may be misleading.
- Sign of skin cancer found: If you or your provider finds a sign of skin cancer, you'll probably have a skin biopsy to find out whether you have cancer. Limitation: Not all suspicious spots turn out to be skin cancer. Next step: If the biopsy shows that you do have skin cancer, your provider will talk with you about your treatment options.
- Mole or spot that concerns you: This can mean unusual moles or sores and any marks on your skin that have changed. Limitation: Melanoma is less common than the other two, but it's also much more serious. Next step: If you find a mole or other spot on your skin that concerns you, contact your provider.
- False-positive results may lead to unnecessary anxiety and procedures such as biopsy.
- False-negative results may miss skin cancer, delaying diagnosis.
- Screening may detect cancers that would never cause symptoms or harm (overdiagnosis), leading to overtreatment.
- Mobile phone apps for skin cancer screening are not proven to be accurate; always discuss results with a provider.
What to do next
If your results are negative but you're still concerned about an unusual area of skin, talk to your provider about getting additional tests.
- Have you noticed any new moles or changes in existing moles?
- Do you have a personal or family history of skin cancer?
- Have you had frequent sun exposure or used tanning beds?
- Do you have any sores that haven't healed within two weeks?
- What is your skin type and do you burn easily?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.