Skin spot — should I get this checked?
A spot that’s changing? Let’s get you ready for your GP.
Tell me about it, and I’ll map your own words against the same checklist a GP uses.
Your words, against the checklist
| What it means | Your description |
|---|
Bring the ticked boxes — and fill the empty ones in before you go.
The honest bit
I can’t see your spot — only you and a doctor can. This checklist organises what you’ve told me; it can’t tell you whether it’s harmless or not. That’s the appointment’s job, not mine.
And the opposite is just as true: some skin cancers don’t tick any of these boxes. A spot that’s new, different from your others, or just bothering you is reason enough to get it checked — even if nothing above is ticked.
For a child’s skin, a GP check is the right move — kids’ spots are almost always harmless but worth a professional eye.
In Australia, at least 2 in 3 people are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by age 70 — which is exactly why getting a changing spot checked is routine here, not dramatic. Cancer Council Australia.
Before you go — two things to bring
Photograph it. Take a clear, close, well-lit photo on your phone today, with something for scale next to it (a coin or a ruler). It helps your GP see change over time.
Measure it. Width across the widest part: ______ mm (a pencil eraser is about 6 mm).
Notes for the empty boxes
Take it with you
Email yourself the one-page skin-check sheet — the ABCDE grid, your notes, and the spot-and-measure prompt — to bring to your appointment.
If you want the full picture
This is the general version. The full skin-check kit walks you through photographing and measuring the spot for change-tracking over time, a body-map to log every spot, and the exact questions to ask if your GP suggests watching rather than removing.
If your GP says “let’s watch it”, plan the watch-vs-remove conversation →
After the check or excision, turn the plan into a follow-up loop →
Where this comes from (Australian sources)
- Cancer Council Australia — Check for signs of skin cancer (ABCDE + EFG, self-check, hidden sites) — cancer.org.au — check for signs of skin cancer
- Cancer Council Australia — Early Detection of Skin Cancer position statement (new-or-different / “ugly duckling” framing) — cancer.org.au — early detection
- Cancer Council Australia — Detection and screening — cancer.org.au — detection and screening
- Cancer Council Australia — Skin cancer risk factors / epidemiology (“at least 2 in 3 by age 70”) — cancer.org.au — risk factors / epidemiology
- Cancer Council Australia — Melanoma (causes, symptoms, treatments) — cancer.org.au — melanoma
- SunSmart (Cancer Council Victoria) — skin checks and sun safety — sunsmart.com.au
- RACGP — early detection of skin cancer in general practice (clinical-sign-off reference) — primary RACGP guidance to be locked at clinical sign-off.
AU primary-source check 2026-06-09 via WebSearch — Cancer Council ABCDE guide and the “at least 2 in 3 by age 70” figure confirmed against cancer.org.au. RACGP primary link to be locked at clinical sign-off.
© Dr HB Lo, Integrative GP · drhblo.com · Emergency routing numbers verified 2026-06-09 against AU primary sources (000, Lifeline 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back 1300 659 467, 13YARN 13 92 76). AHPRA-registered. This tool prepares you for a conversation — it does not see, diagnose, or rate your skin.