Despite increased awareness and advancements in prevention, the incidence of skin cancers, both melanoma and non-melanoma, continues to climb in Ireland.
According to the Irish Cancer Society, 13,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed here every year – an alarming statistic that underscores the need for daily sun protection, regular skin checks and early detection of cancerous moles or growths.
Self-examinations are important, following the ABCDEs rules of moles: asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and evolving. If a mole starts showing any of these signs – changes in shape, outline, colour, or size – or if it continuously exhibits a mixture of the above, it is important to get it checked.
I recently noticed a change in a slightly raised freckle on my right forearm. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember, along with many others. What used to be small and circular had started to blur on one side, extending the border outward, almost joining up with another nearby freckle. There was no change on the surface – no bleeding, crusting, or changes in sensation – but it was definitely on the move. With a family history of skin cancer, I was keen to get it checked out.
Waiting lists to see a dermatologist in Ireland are long, sometimes extending to a year or more, even with a GP referral letter in hand. So I took to Google. Several mole-mapping and skin check services are available in Ireland without a referral, the most widely available of which is at Boots.
The company’s mole-scanning service has been running for several years at select locations nationwide. You can book an appointment online at your nearest location in just a few minutes. The service takes about 20 minutes and is run by ScreenCancer, with assistance from the Boots pharmacy team. A maximum of four moles, freckles, or lesions can be checked during the appointment. The first is charged at €45, and each additional one is €25.
Customers must be 18 or over to avail of the service, and there are exclusions on what can be checked, including moles or lesions covered by excessive hair, those on a tattoo, or understandably, ones that are crusting or bleeding.
It’s a quick, comfortable appointment. The first five to 10 minutes were taken up by a questionnaire overseen by the pharmacist, covering family history, sun exposure levels and the details of what I want to have checked and why. After this, the area is scanned with a small hand-held device resembling a slightly larger version of a digital thermometer. The scan is instantly displayed on a small screen in front of me. Seeing an extreme close-up of my hairy forearm is quite the experience.
The pharmacist then asks if I am happy that the scan accurately captures the freckle in question, and I confirm that I am. The scan is then digitally packaged with the consultation form and sent to ScreenCancer.
Three days after my appointment, I receive a text message from ScreenCancer with a link to my report. To my relief, the freckle shows “no worrying features on dermoscopy – reassure”
The pharmacist says I will receive my report within seven days via text message. She says the service is busy, and that staffing levels occasionally limit the number of people who can be seen each day.
There have been several instances where customers who have been on waiting lists to see a dermatologist for a year or more have received a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan from ScreenCancer less than a week after their mole scan, she says. In one case, a customer was contacted by ScreenCancer the next day due to the urgency of her referral.
Happily, the latter doesn’t happen that often, says Caoimhe McAuley, director of pharmacy and superintendent pharmacist at Boots. “Most scans assessed by ScreenCancer dermatology specialists do not require a follow-up. For the small percentage where the ScreenCancer report identifies that follow-up or further investigation is recommended, the next step will be with a doctor, who will refer onward to a dermatologist if indicated. The ScreenCancer report will note if a scan is suspicious or highly suspicious, in conjunction with a call from a ScreenCancer healthcare adviser, which helps to identify the urgency of referral and follow-up with their GP or doctor.”
Unsurprisingly, the biggest uptake of the service is in the summer, when we’re exposing more skin. The increase in bookings during this period has not increased the wait time for an appointment, however. At the time of writing this column, I could book another appointment online in just a few days’ time, depending on location.
Three days after my appointment, I receive a text message from ScreenCancer with a link to my report, which can be downloaded as a PDF if desired. To my relief, the freckle shows “no worrying features on dermoscopy – reassure”.
At €45 for one mole or freckle, it’s expensive, but the peace of mind and the speed far outweigh the expense for me.
