Skin Cancer

Urgent Suspected Cancer (USC)

We hold a daily (Monday to Friday) USC clinic in the dermatology unit which is dedicated to the review of patients referred from their GPs with potential skin cancers. 

What to expect

We will generally ask you to sign a consent form on arrival to the clinic to allow a clinical photograph of your skin lesion to be taken during your consultation. The photograph will be kept in your electronic medical record and shared with other members of the medical team who might be involved in your on-going treatment.

If the patient we are seeing is unable to give consent, we ask that their next of kin or person with power of attorney for their health could attend the clinic with them. However this is not mandatory.

Next steps

After assessing the skin lesion, we will either let you know that no further action is needed or inform you of the next steps in your care.

• If a non-surgical treatment is recommended this can usually be carried out in clinic or a cream treatment may be recommended
• If a surgical treatment is required, you will be invited back for a surgical procedure either at RUH or another provider for skin cancer treatment in the area.

Surgical procedures are performed under a local anaesthetic injection. It is sometimes necessary to arrange referral to another team who will be able to treat the skin lesion (this may be at the RUH or possibly from other providers of skin cancer treatment in the area).

Once we have the results of any biopsies performed we inform you by letter or telephone call within 6-8 weeks of the surgery date. Any plans for further treatment will be also given at this point.

Advice leaflet for patients undergoing minor surgical skin operation

Follow-up of patients with Skin Cancer

If there is an urgent issue that you are concerned about, please contact the Skin Cancer CNS service and you will be advised on next steps.

For patients who have had a Squamous Cell Cancer (SCC) or Malignant Melanoma (MM) you may find the following video link on how to examine your lymph nodes helpful (this should be what was explained to you in the skin cancer specialist nurse clinics).

Useful information - Norfolk and Norwich Skin Tumour Unit
Please look under 'Patient Videos'

Further information for skin cancer patients

Free Pocket Medic information films

Pocket Medic 'Life after cancer' films

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