General Dermatology and Skin Cancer

At Adult and Paediatric dermatology staff are happy treating children, and are also very comfortable seeing adult patients. 

Here in Australia, skin cancer is a major problem. There are many different types of skin cancer. The common ones include basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and melanomas. According to the Cancer Council  1 in 28 people from Western Australia will suffer from melanoma during their lifetime. Every adult presenting at Adult and Paediatric Dermatology is offered a full skin examination. During this skin check the doctor slowly looks at your skin from head to toe using a magnification device screening for skin cancers. Often patients are sent to us about a different skin problem  and after a full skin check an early skin cancer is identified for treatment. 

Another common problem is psoriasis. At Adult and Paediatric dermatology the approach to treating this condition is holistic. Research has shown that people with psoriasis are at increased risk of developing heart problems, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression and joint problems. Psoriasis can not be cured, but it can be very well managed. It is preferable to start with safe, effective and natural treatments. Afterwards it is possible to progress to medications including the biologic therapies if these become necessary. For patients with psoriasis it is also important to look at the rest of your health - deeper than your skin - to ensure that you remain well inside and out.

Many older patients present with itch without an obvious rash. There are dozens of different potential causes including medications, creams, undiagnosed internal problems such as cancers, kidney problems, low iron and even simply dry skin. The approach used at Adult and Paediatric dermatology is to try to identify the underlying cause of the itch by talking to the patient, looking at their medications, examining the skin and the rest of the body and doing blood tests and other tests to look for any internal problems.  Treating the cause usually solves the problem. Natural treatments and medications can also be very helpful.