Skin cancer in primary care

This book is targeted at doctors working in the primary care setting. The market is initially Australia, but there should be a strong international market. In Australia with its very high and rising prevalence of skin cancer (mainly basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer and melanoma), almost all doctors working in primary care will be faced with the diagnosis and management of these problems. As well as diagnosis and management in mainstream (comprehensive) general practice, there is a large and increasing number of skin cancer-only clinics staffed by general practitioners and other non-specialist doctors. A Skin Cancer Society was formed in 2005 and there are now annual conferences run by this society, there is now also an Australasian College of Skin Cancer Medicine (2006) formed as a response to the high demand for formal qualification in this areaWhile there are many texts available that deal with aspects of diagnosis and management of skin cancer in the primary care setting (such as histopathology, dermoscopy, surgery), there is no single text available. As a result doctors doing this work are under-resourced. Many doctors need ready access to a handbook that provides them with the key information that they need, in a readily available format. The concept is that this book will be kept in the consulting room.

Part 1: ORGANISATIONChapter 1: Practice set upDescribes the options that exist for organising a comprehensive practice or a skin cancer only clinic. Includes administration and billing systems, instruments and sterilisation, patient appointments and recalls, and referrals, consultation room layout.Chapter 2: Pathology reportsThe aspects of skin anatomy, histology and pathology needed to interpret a pathology report. The components and meaning of a pathology report, and interpreting and responding to it.Chapter 3: Medico-legal mattersReview of best practice recommendations for safe and effective patient care including practice organisation, consent forms, audit and review.Chapter 4: Safety, quality, and auditBasic principles of safety in primary care, quality of care principles and audit including benchmarkingPart 2: DETECTIONChapter 5: The consultationHow to do a systematic and comprehensive skin examination including documentation of findingsChapter 6: DiagnosisUse of dermoscope and other major imaging technologies appropriate to primary care. Diagnostic criteria of major skin cancers and major pitfalls. Chapter 7: BiopsyInstructions on how to perform skin biopsies safely and effectively.Part 3: TREATMENTChapter 8: Treatment optionsBroad overview of skin cancer treatment options for each of the major groups of cancer, the evidence behind each and approaches to deciding which option to adopt.Chapter 9: Non-surgical treatmentOverview of non-surgical treatments, pros and consChapter 10: Skin surgery and post-operative careBasic principles and practices for the most common forms of skin cancer surgery (simple excisions, curettage etc). Practical advice on post-operative care (dressings, immobility, suture removal).Chapter 11: Advanced surgery: an introduction to flaps and graftsAn introduction to the use of a small number of simple flaps for the most common sites of skin cancer, and how to do a full thickness skin graft.

General Practitioners, GP Registrars in training