Skin cancer is a common occurrence in Australian adults and can result in disfiguration of any part of the body – most commonly the face, head or neck. Plastic surgeons are skilled at diagnosing and treating skin cancer, usually through surgical excision, and correcting disfiguration caused by skin cancer.

The incidence of skin cancer is extremely high with the Cancer Council of Australia reporting that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with the disease by the age of 70. Skin cancer also accounts for 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia.

The most common forms of skin cancer amongst Australians are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma which can cause various levels of damage to skin and underlying tissue and if untreated some cases can result in death.