Latest Guidance Updates:July 2022: Changes made to align this quality standard with the updated NICE guideline on melanoma. Statement 6 on discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of sentinel lymph node biopsy has been removed because it is no longer a priority area for quality improvement. Statement 7 on genetic testing has been updated to align with new recommendations on BRAF testing in the updated NICE guideline on melanoma. Links, definitions and source guidance sections have also been updated throughout. |
Overview
This specialist Guidelines summary covers quality standards for the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and management of skin cancer (malignant melanoma and non-melanoma). It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement. It does not cover areas of national policy, such as changes to national commissioning arrangements, and legislation.
This summary is for use by oncology teams. For information on rationales and quality measures, refer to the original quality standard (QS130) from NICE.
List of Quality Statements
Quality Statement 1: Local Health Promotion Activities
- Local authority health promotion activities on preventing skin cancer and recognising early signs are consistent with the messages in any national campaigns.
Quality Statement 2: GPs Managing Low-risk Basal Cell Carcinoma
- GPs who manage low-risk basal cell carcinoma maintain and audit records of their caseload.
Quality Statement 3: Suspected Cancer Pathway Referrals
- People with suspected malignant melanoma are referred using a suspected cancer pathway for an appointment within 2 weeks.
Quality Statement 4: Dermoscopy
- People with pigmented skin lesions undergoing a specialist assessment have the lesions examined using dermoscopy.
Healthcare professionals (members of local hospital skin cancer multidisciplinary teams or specialist skin cancer multidisciplinary teams) undertaking specialist assessment of pigmented skin lesions ensure that they examine the lesions using dermoscopy. They should include formal training as part of their continuing professional development.
Quality Statement 5: Skin Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist
- People with malignant melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma have access to a skin cancer clinical nurse specialist.
Quality Statement 6: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- This statement has been removed. For more details see update information from July 2022.
Quality Statement 7: Genetic Testing
- People with stage IIC to IV primary melanoma are offered BRAF testing of the tumour.
Healthcare professionals (specialist skin cancer multidisciplinary teams) offer people with stage IIC to IV primary melanoma BRAF testing of the tumour.