What to expect from skin cancer screening for actinic keratosis

Actinic keratosis is a rough or scaly area linked to accumulated sun exposure. During screening, a clinician inspects the skin in good light and may use magnification to assess colour, scale, borders, and nearby spots. You may be asked about sun exposure, previous skin lesions, immune conditions, and changes you have noticed.

Many areas can be recognised clinically, but an examination cannot always distinguish an actinic keratosis from an early skin cancer. If a lesion is thick, tender, bleeding, persistent, or atypical, the clinician may recommend a small biopsy. The sample is sent for diagnostic review, and the wound is covered with a dressing.

Before the visit, note when each spot appeared and whether it has grown, crusted, bled, or become sore. Bring a list of medicines and mention bleeding problems, immune-suppressing treatment, prior skin cancers, or difficulty healing.

Wear clothing that makes the skin easy to examine and avoid covering suspicious areas with makeup. Between visits, use sun protection, avoid picking scaly lesions, and keep a simple record or photograph of spots if your clinician recommends monitoring.

Contact a clinician sooner if a rough spot becomes increasingly painful, thick, ulcerated, or repeatedly bleeds, or if a new sore fails to heal. Rapid change, a firm growing lump, or a lesion that looks different from your other sun-damaged areas deserves assessment rather than self-treatment.

Ask which areas need treatment or observation, whether a biopsy is appropriate, how to care for a biopsy site, and how often your skin should be checked.