Table 3.
Assessment of skin cancer risk. At-risk patients are stratified by skin type, age and family history. A patient’s current risk level is determined by having at least one of the risk factors listed in the high, medium or low risk columns. For example, a patient may be considered high risk if they have a positive family history or if they have Type I skin and are over the age of 30. Risk levels can change with age and on detection of a melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer and surveillance frequency should be adjusted accordingly.
| High risk | Medium risk | Low risk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin check frequency | Annual full-body skin checks recommended | One-off full-body skin check recommended with the frequency of re-examination required determined at initial skin check | Patient self-examination recommended |
| Type I skin with red hair | age over 30 | age 20–29 | below age 20 |
| Type I skin without red hair | age over 40 | age 30–39 | below age 20 |
| Type II skin | age over 60 | age 40–59 | below age 40 |
| Type III skin | - | over 60 | below age 60 |
| Type IV and V skin | - | - | all ages |
| Family history | melanoma in first-degree relative | NMSC in first-degree relative | - |
| Past history | non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) or more than 20 solar keratosis | solar keratosis, multiple episodes of sunburn | - |
Definitions: Type 1 skin: burns, never tans; Type II skin: burns, occasionally tans; Type III skin: tans, occasionally burns; Type IV skin: tans, rarely burns; Type V skin: never burns.