Should I have a full body skin check?

If you live in Australia, have white skin and are aged 40 or over, you should probably have a full body skin cancer check every year.

We recommend a full body skin check once each year for anyone with any of the following risk factors.

History of skin cancer

The most significant risk factor for skin cancer is a history of skin cancer or certain high-risk conditions, including:

• Melanoma.
• Basal cell carcinoma.
• Squamous cell carcinoma.
• Dysplastic naevus.
• Solar keratoses.

Medical conditions and medications

Conditions and medications that affect the immune system increase skin cancer risk, including:

• Immune-modifying medications used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. Examples include sulfasalazine, prednisolone, methotrexate, fingolimod (Gilenya) and natalizumab (Tysabri).
• History of radiotherapy.
• Organ transplant recipient.
• Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
• HIV infection with decreased immunity.

Ultraviolet and chemical exposure

Long-term and/or intense exposure to ultraviolet light and certain chemicals increases the risk of skin cancer, including:

• Multiple peeling or blistering sunburns as a child or early teenager.
• Solarium/tanning bed use, any number of times, at any age.
• Smoking.
• Arc welding.
• Repeated or prolonged exposure to arsenic.

Age and skin type

The risk of skin cancer increases with age. People with fairer skin have a higher risk of skin cancer when young:

• Age >30 and skin type I (very fair skin which does not tan).
• Age > 40 and skin type II or III (skin can tan but burns with sun exposure).
• Age > 50 and skin type IV (olive or light brown skin which tans easily and does not usually burn).

Family history

If your first-degree relatives (parents, siblings or children) have ever had skin cancer, your own risk increases:

• Family history of melanoma.
• Family history of non-melanoma skin cancer < 50 years old.

Multiple moles

People with more than 100 moles have a higher risk of developing melanoma. If it’s hard to keep track of new and changing spots, consider full body mole mapping photography.