Skin Cancer Screenings

Skin cancer screenings can save lives. At Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, you have a trusted partner to help protect your health.

Regular visits with a board-certified dermatologist and monthly skin self-exams can detect cancer at early stages when treatment could be more effective. We make it easy to access expert skin evaluations and teach you ways to detect potential cancer symptoms at home.

What you need to know about skin cancer screening

• Skin cancers are the most common type of cancer by far. They mainly develop due to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight exposure. Many types of skin cancer are highly curable if caught early. Some (like melanoma) can be life-threatening when not detected in early stages.
• No one is immune from getting skin cancer. It can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. People with fair (light) skin may be more prone to developing skin cancer, but it can develop in people who have darker skin types.
• We can help you assess your risk for developing skin cancer. Then we can personalize a skin cancer screening plan tailored to your needs.
• Most insurance plans cover preventive skin cancer screenings at little to no cost to you. For patients who don’t have insurance coverage, we can help protect your health in a way that works for your life.

Schedule your skin cancer screening today

To get more information about our services or schedule a skin cancer screening with one of our dermatologists, contact us at 210-450-1000.

Why choose us for skin cancer screening?

When you choose Mays Cancer Center for skin cancer screenings, you benefit from our:

• Expertise: All of our dermatologists are board-certified in dermatology. Board certification requires rigorous analysis of how different skin cancers look and act. This expertise helps us spot potential areas of concern with a high level of precision, leading to high-quality care for common and rare skin cancers.

• Personalized approach: We team up with you to help keep you healthy, with the goal of catching potential skin cancers early. Our specialists assess your cancer risk and offer customized recommendations for how regularly you should receive skin evaluations.
• Practical education: Our specialists help you detect skin cancer at home by teaching you how to perform a skin exam on yourself using a handheld mirror. We can also guide you in making smart clothing and sunscreen choices.
• Leading-edge treatments: If we detect signs of skin cancer, you’re in expert hands. Our team includes a surgeon with fellowship training in Mohs surgery, a leading skin cancer treatment. You can access advanced therapies for all types of skin cancer close to home. Find out more about our skin cancer program.

Skin cancer detection tips

Melanoma is a less common skin cancer that can pose a serious threat to your health. Knowing the signs of melanoma can help you decide when to call your doctor about unusual changes in your skin. Learn more about skin cancer screening guidelines.

Our team promotes the ABCDE approach to help people recognize five key characteristics of melanomas and to improve melanoma early detection.

• A for Asymmetry: Is the sport or lesion (flat or raised area that may be discolored) asymmetric, with one side looking different than the other?
• B for Border: Is the border of the lesion very uneven?
• C for Color: Are there different colors within the lesion?
• D for Diameter: Is the lesion growing or greater than 6 millimeters wide (about the size of a small pearl)?
• E for Evolution: Is the lesion changing in appearance or symptoms (newly bleeding, itching or painful)?