About East Maitland Skin Cancer Clinic

East Maitland Skin Cancer Clinic continues to grow and is home to 7 doctors. With appointments available 7 days a week, East Maitland Skin Cancer Clinic operates with the utmost care to monitor, prevent and treat any skin cancer concerns in the local community.

With a state of the art procedure room, the clinic operates in close proximity to the East Maitland Family Medical Centre, bringing comprehensive and personalised care to the Maitland region.

Do I need a referral? No. Patients can book directly and are able to receive a Medicare Rebate without a referral from another doctor. In addition to this, our doctors at East Maitland Skin Cancer Clinic welcome referrals from other practitioners, which can often occur when a second opinion is required. Furthermore, a copy of the visit notes can be sent to a patient’s regular GP upon request.

When you go for a skin check, the doctor will begin the consultation by asking you some questions about your risk factors for skin cancer and if you’ve had any skin cancers before. It will also be important to point out any areas or moles of concern to your doctor, and the reason why you are concerned about these areas.

 Next, the doctor will ask you to undress to your underwear, however if this is uncomfortable at any point, the examination can be modified to ensure patient comfort throughout the whole process.

Then the doctor will examine your skin under magnification, this will involve the doctor getting quite close and using a dermascope. Occasionally they may take close up photographs of suspicious moles or spots, and explain to you why they might be a cause for concern.

If any spots are detected that need treatment, the doctor will explain your treatment options to you and any costs involved so that you feel fully informed and understand the pros and cons of any treatments.

Different types of cancers have different treatment options.

Sometimes your doctor might want to take a biopsy to find out precisely what needs to be done to treat your skin cancer.

This will involve an injection of local anaesthetic, removing a small sample of skin with a ‘punch’ or maybe a ‘shave,’ and then occasionally a stitch.

 Some cancers can be treated using special creams which treat the cancer by ‘burning them off,’ so to speak.

Some cancers need removing with surgery. This again involves an injection of local anaesthetic, removing the cancer, and stitches to sew up the wound.

In some cases, the cancer might require more extensive surgery, if the affected area is larger.

The staff at the skin cancer clinic will contact you regarding the results (usually a few working days after the biopsy/excision) and organise any follow up as required.