Skin cancer specialist in London

If you have noticed any worrying growths, spots or lesions on your skin, or any changes to your moles, it’s important that they are examined by a dermatologist as quickly as possible.

We have a team of skin cancer specialists who can carry out a clinical consultation, examining the shape, size, colour, location and texture of the affected area of your skin. They will also look to see if there is any inflammation, bleeding or dry crusted areas.

If our Consultant Dermatologists suspect you have skin cancer they may perform a biopsy  – this simple and safe procedure involves surgically removing the cancerous area (or a section of it) and sending it to a lab for testing.

Unlike many other cancers, skin cancer is often straightforward to treat – especially if diagnosed early – and treatment is usually successful.

As mentioned earlier, in many cases, we often carry out skin cancer treatment at the same time as the biopsy. This involves surgically removing the suspicious area for lab testing. We then typically remove a small section of the healthy surrounding skin, and close the site with a few stitches.

Other treatment options include:

• Mole removal: if melanoma is detected early in a mole, it can be removed and microscopic analysis carried out afterwards, often on the same day
• Mohs micrographic surgery: for harder to reach cancers, such as in the neck or ears, the growth is removed layer by layer and examined each time under a microscope. The process is repeated until the whole area is free of cancer
• Curettage: the growth is scraped away and the skin is heat sealed
• Cryotherapy: the cancer is frozen and destroyed using liquid nitrogen
• Photodynamic therapy: a form of targeted light therapy

 If your cancer has spread, you may need more specialised treatment, such as targeted radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Our Consultant Dermatologists will be able to support and guide you, order further tests and refer you for specialist treatment if needed.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): is the most common form of skin cancer in the UK, accounting for 90% of all skin cancers, and is rarely life-threatening. It’s unconnected to moles, and is usually very slow growing. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer and is usually found on areas of the body that are most routinely exposed to the sun, such as your head, ears, neck and backs of your hands. It’s very treatable, but can grow fast and spread to other parts of the body, so it’s important to catch it early.  

Melanoma is the most recognised form of skin cancer, although it only accounts for around 1% of all skin cancers. It can develop anywhere on your body, starting in a mole or on other parts of your skin. It typically appears on the chest and back in men and on the legs in women. Melanoma is very treatable but it can spread quickly and can eventually become life threatening, so it’s important that it’s diagnosed early.

Actinic keratoses are patches of sun damaged skin lesions. They are not cancerous but without treatment there is a possibility they can evolve into squamous cell carcinoma.

Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun or to sunbeds – either over a long period of time, or through short bursts of intense sun exposure, particularly if you’ve been sunburnt. Ultraviolet (UV) light can lead to mutations in the DNA of your skin cells, which causes them to grow uncontrollably and eventually become cancerous. This can begin many years before the cancer develops.

With melanoma, however, experts believe genetics are a key risk factor along with exposure to sunlight. So if you have a family history of moles or skin cancer it’s important to be particularly vigilant. 

Generally, you are more likely to get skin cancer if you:

• Use sunbeds or sunlamps a lot
• Have had a lot of sun exposure, through working outdoors or sunbathing
• Have been sunburnt a lot in the past
• Have a large number of moles or freckles
• Have pale skin that burns easily
• Have blue or green eyes
• Have a family history of skin cancer
• Have a weakened immune system 

People with black or brown skin have a lower chance of developing skin cancer but may still get it.

There are several steps you can take to protect yourself from skin cancer, or to catch it early, when it is more likely to be easily treatable. This includes the following:

• Regular self checks: stand in front of a mirror and check your skin from top to toe, or ask your partner to do so, looking for anything unusual or suspicious
• Check your moles: look for any new moles or a change in appearance, size or colour in any existing ones. If you’re unsure of what to look for, the ABCDE system, devised by dermatologists, is a helpful guide
• Mole mapping: for people with a large amount of moles we provide state of the art AI mole screening, overseen by a Consultant Dermatologist. Carried out regularly, this can accurately determine if there have been any changes to your skin
• Cover your skin: wear protective clothing and a hat if you are going out in the sun
• Use sunscreen: use a high SPF sunscreen – at least factor 30 – when you are in the sun, and reapply every 2 hours or immediately after swimming

For dermatology consultations, please refer to our fees here.