Dawaa Reference

Clinical reference

Skin Cancer

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: Guideline-Based Management and Interprofessional Collaboration - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572149/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class SD25 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified against1 document
  • No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (2)

  • Itching, bleeding, pain, or irritation in a skin lesion should prompt closer evaluation [bleeding · itching · skin lesions]
  • A mole that looks different from a person's other moles, or one that is new or changing, should be treated as suspicious

Signs — what you find (6)

  • A rough, gritty bump on a red base is the typical look of a precancerous sun-damage lesion
  • A pink, pearly bump with visible small blood vessels is the classic look of the most common skin cancer
  • A pink, rough bump, patch, or plaque is the typical look of squamous cell skin cancer [plaques]
  • A brown-to-black lesion with an uneven shape, ragged border, mixed coloring, and a size over 6 mm is typical of melanoma
  • Basal and squamous cell cancers typically appear on sun-exposed facial skin such as the nose or ears
  • Melanoma tends to occur on the back and shoulders in men and on the lower legs in women

Tests (5)

  • A shave or punch skin biopsy is the standard first step for most suspicious lesions
  • Complete surgical removal, rather than a shave or punch sample, is recommended when melanoma is suspected
  • A deep incisional biopsy is needed for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans rather than a superficial sample
  • Imaging may be needed to check whether a squamous cell cancer has grown into nearby bone
  • An HIV test should be obtained when Kaposi sarcoma is suspected

If not this — what else fits (5)

  • Psoriasis is among the common skin conditions that must be told apart from true skin cancer
  • A fungal skin infection such as tinea can be mistaken for a cancerous lesion
  • A wart can resemble a cancerous skin growth
  • Cancer that has spread to the skin from another organ is on the differential for a skin lesion
  • An atypical but benign mole must be distinguished from an actual skin cancer

SourceStatPearls "Skin Cancer" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE)

1st line
Adult dose and duration

Umbrella category for malignant skin tumours including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma; the GP's role is recognising a suspicious lesion and referring for biopsy/excision, since treatment is surgical or oncological rather than pharmacologic in primary care. - Refer, with advice

Paediatric dose

Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied.

Dose source

No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Why

Umbrella category for malignant skin tumours including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma; the GP's role is recognising a suspicious lesion and referring for biopsy/excision, since treatment is surgical or oncological rather than pharmacologic in primary care.

Cautions
  • No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.
  • RED FLAG - A lesion suspicious for melanoma calls for prompt full-body evaluation, not a routine-pace referral like other suspicious lesions.
  • RED FLAG - A changing, bleeding, or non-healing skin lesion, or an asymmetric, irregular-bordered, multi-coloured, or enlarging pigmented lesion, which may be melanoma and needs urgent referral.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.