Should I have mole mapping?

If you have a very high risk of melanoma and more than 100 moles, you should consider having mole mapping every year. There is evidence that mole mapping can allow earlier detection of melanoma in high-risk patients and therefore improve the chances of successful treatment.

What is mole mapping?

Mole mapping is the process of taking multiple photographs of the skin from a distance. We take 28-30 photographs to document almost your entire body surface.

The photographs are a reference for later comparison.

• If you notice a spot of concern, you can refer to your earlier mole mapping photos to see if it was there earlier, and if it has changed.
• At future skin check-ups, we can repeat the mole mapping photos and compare them side-by-side to detect changes you might not have noticed.
• We have computer algorithms that help identify spots that have changed.

We make all mole mapping photos available to patients via the MoleScope system.

If you’ve had mole mapping at Spot Check Clinic, you don’t need to visit the clinic to see if your spot has changed. You can refer to your photos via the MoleScope app or website. You can even take your own mole mapping photos at home using the same app and techniques that we use in the clinic.

Should I have mole mapping on my first visit?

It’s often very useful to have a set of photographs to act as a reference s0 we can compare your skin at future skin checks with what it looked like the first time you came to the clinic. This can be useful for people who don’t have an especially high risk of skin cancer. It does increase the cost and the length of your consultation, so we recommend that you check our pricing information before booking.

Should I have mole mapping every year?

If you have a very high risk of melanoma and more than 100 moles, you should consider having mole mapping every year. There is evidence that mole mapping can allow earlier detection of melanoma in high-risk patients and therefore improve the chances of successful treatment.¹

Risk factors for melanoma include:

• A previous history of melanoma.
• Fair skin with more than 100 moles.
• A history of dysplastic moles.
• Family history of melanoma.
• Solarium/tanning bed use.

What if I’m not at high risk?

Even if you don’t have very high melanoma risk, you may choose to have mole mapping because:

• You can’t remember where your spots are and you would like to have a record of them.
• You want a “baseline” photo for comparison in case you notice a spot of concern in future.
• Mole mapping is covered by your private health insurance policy.

If you have mole mapping once, you don’t necessarily need to have your entire body photographed every time you return for a skin cancer check. For people with average skin cancer risk, we often suggest repeating mole mapping every three to five years so that the “baseline” is kept up to date.

References

1. Kelly, J, Dr Nikki Adler, Paul Fishburn, Associate Professor Pascale Guitera FACD PhD, Clinton Heal, Alison Button-Sloan, Cancer Council Australia Melanoma Guidelines Working Party. Clinical question:Melanoma total body photography. In: Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of melanoma. Sydney: Melanoma Institute Australia. [Version URL: https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australiawiki/index.php?oldid=174909, cited 2023 Dec 27].