Patient Portal

Skin cancer impacts a disproportionately higher number of Pacific Northwest residents. In fact, Oregon currently is in the top 10 states with the highest melanoma cases in the nation. Deschutes County, with its beautiful Central Oregon sunshine, currently has the highest melanoma incidence rate in the state of Oregon.

At Juniper Dermatology we recommend an annual skin examination for all adults over the age of 25.

Certain individuals are at increased risk for skin cancer. We might recommend more frequent skin checks if you have a:

• Personal history of skin cancer
• New or changing lesion on your skin
• History of skin cancer in a first-degree relative
• History of extensive sun exposure or severe sunburns
• Greater-than-average number of moles or a history of atypical moles
• History of tanning bed use
• Suppressed immune system or if you are taking immunosuppressive medications.

Full-body skin screening involves a simple office visit that usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes.

Your appointment will begin with us collecting information about your personal and family skin cancer and skin disease history. We will also need to know about any concerns or changes to your skin. Then we will visually inspect your skin, looking for any suspicious lesions that could indicate a cancerous or precancerous condition. During the exam, we might use a dermatoscope, which magnifies and applies special light to areas of the skin to aid in differentiating malignant and benign lesions.

We understand that for some patients examining certain parts of the body may be uncomfortable and are dedicated to performing your skin cancer screening in a considerate and respectful manner. Please let us know if you would prefer not to have a specific area of your body screened.