Skin cancer/skin lesion (Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery)
Adult

Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery

Useful Management Information

  • Advise patient regarding sun avoidance and appropriate use of sun screens
  • Educate patient on skin cancer surveillance and arrange annual skin checks

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Skin lesion highly suspicious for melanoma or excision biopsy proven melanoma
  • Rapidly growing skin lesions especially on the face
  • Complex non-melanoma skin malignancies and any of the following:
    • ulceration and bleeding
    • rapidly enlarging
    • neurological involvement
    • lymphadenopathy
    • poorly differentiated or infiltrative tumour on biopsy
  • Other subcutaneous and deep tissue malignancies e.g. Merkel cell carcinoma, sarcoma
  • Skin lesion causing substantial obstruction to vision
  • Suspicion of malignant liposarcoma
  • Poorly differentiated SCC
  • Prior malignancy at the same site
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Uncomplicated non-melanoma skin malignancies (BCC/SCC/IEC)
  • Skin lesions with any of the following:
    • causing functional problems or significant disfigurement
    • diameter exceeds ≥ 5cm in size or rapid growth over short period of time
    • significant persistent pain that is not solely pressure related
    • fixed to deep tissues, i.e. muscle or fascia
    • recurring after a previous excision
    • prone to recurrent infection
    • diagnosis in doubt or needs confirmation
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Benign soft tissue lesions e.g. lipoma, ganglion not suitable for primary health management
  • Clinically significant benign lesions

If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria

  • Assessment and management information may be found on a range of conditions at HealthPathways
  • If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested:
    • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Essential Referral Information

  • Features of pigmented lesions: size, shape, colour, inflammation, oozing, change in sensation
  • Biopsy results unless clinically contraindicated - excision biopsy is the preferred method for suspected melanoma
  • Smoking status
  • History of anticoagulant therapy

Additional Referral Information

  • Photograph – with patient’s consent, where secure image transfer, identification and storage is possible
  • USS lesion result (for a suspicious lipoma)
Last updated 18 October 2021

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Raja Sawhney
Medical Director Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
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