This position statement provides recommendations on self-examination, screening, and aids to clinical diagnosis of melanoma, for clinicians and the general public.
Based on current evidence, the Cancer Society does not recommend:
- Population screening for skin cancers (melanoma or keratinocytic cancer). At the present time, there is no evidence that shows population level screening is effective, therefore we do not currently recommend population level screening.
- Screening skin checks occurring outside clinical settings (such as at community events), as these can involve examination of single lesions without a full body examination and inadequate follow-up and referral. CSNZ strongly recommends that any opportunistic screening intervention programmes have rigorous evaluation frameworks to assess the extent of potential benefits of these interventions.
- Smartphone applications by individuals to self-diagnose melanoma because they are generally inaccurate at diagnosing melanoma and should not be used to replace a skin examination by a qualified medical practitioner.
Read our full position statement: