Gymea Skin Cancer Centre (formerly Prof John Pyne & Assoc Skin Cancer Centre)

It is normal to grow new moles throughout your lifetime, particularly during childhood. However, new moles growing after the age of thirty should be checked by a doctor for your peace of mind, because new moles in later adulthood have a higher chance of being malignant (cancerous). Keeping an eye on your skin for anything new or changing and seeing a doctor for annual skin cancer checks are the best ways to maintain your skin health and detect skin cancer early.

Conveniently located on President Avenue, Prof John Pyne & Assoc Skin Cancer Centre in Gymea is just an hour from Sydney CBD. Free off-street parking is available at the door. If you arrive by car, entry via the driveway on Hotham Road is best, located at the same traffic lights as President Private Hospital. If you're taking public transport, the nearest bus stop is just around the corner at President Ave after Hotham Rd.

Doctors with advanced training in skin cancer medicine perform comprehensive skin checks in dedicated facilities that are fully equipped to diagnose, biopsy and treat all skin cancers using the latest tools and technologies for earliest diagnosis. They have advanced qualifications and dedicate their practise full-time to skin cancer management.

Doctors with advanced training in skin cancer will thoroughly inspect your skin and examine any moles, freckles or bumps. Your skin will first be examined with a dermatoscope, which is a special skin microscope, which allows the doctor to see beneath the skin to make a decision regarding a suspicious skin lesion or mole. The examination is completely painless. If the doctor finds a suspicious spot, they might take a photograph to be recorded and analysed, and they might take a biopsy which is a sample of the skin. It is important to get your skin checked regularly by a qualified medical professional – at least once a year, or every few months if you are at high-risk of skin cancer or have been diagnosed with skin cancer previously. Routine self-examinations are also a good way to monitor your own skin in between skin checks, but should not be relied upon to catch every suspicious spot.

Yes, sklin cancer is very serious. Skin cancer can be successfully treated and cured if detected early enough, but more advanced skin cancers can be difficult to remove and may cause disfigurement and scarring. Deadly skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma can spread to other organs and require much more significant treatment such as radiation therapy and major surgery to prevent death, but this is a rare occurrence if the malignancy is diagnosed and treated early - which is why skin cancer checks are so important!