Skin Biopsies
About Skin Biopsies
After your skin examination there may be one or more lesions (skin spots) that are of concern. Some are easily identified by our experienced doctors and can proceed directly to surgical or non-surgical treatments. Sometimes there is some uncertainty over whether a lesion is a cancer or what sub-type it is. This will require a biopsy to determine the possible treatment options available. This may be completed at the time of your skin check, or you may be asked to return on another date for your biopsy.
There are several biopsy options including punch biopsy, shave biopsy and excisional biopsy. The type of biopsy performed will depend on the suspected type of skin cancer (melanoma/BCC/SCC) and the body site involved. The tissue (skin) sample will be sent to Perth’s leading skin cancer pathologists and results will take between 2-7 days to return. You will always be informed of your result. “No news is good news” is not an accepted practice at our clinic.
Types of Skin Biopsies
Shave Biopsy
This method uses a curved flexible blade to shave all or part of the lesion with a thickness a few mm deep. This will heal as a superficial burn would over a few days to weeks. A simple dressing will be applied for a few days then Vaseline or pawpaw ointment is applied to the wound until healed.
Punch Biopsy
A core sample is taken of the lesion, usually 3-5mm in size. Often small biopsies do not require a stitch, as the wound heals quickly without one. On certain sites, a stitch will be needed.
Excisional Biopsy
This involves complete excision of the lesion, usually as an ellipse. This is the gold standard for any suspected melanoma.
Incisional Biopsy
Sometimes the lesion is large and a part of the lesion (as an ellipse) may be excised so the pathologist can determine if the entire lesion needs to be removed. This is usually for very large lesions suspicious for melanoma, as punch or shave biopsies are not recommended in these situations, as the pathologist may not be able to make an accurate assessment of whether the lesion is cancerous or not.