General practice · Explanation & counselling

Skin cancer result

Medium

10 min station · 2 min reading · Curtin Year 5

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C N H S

2 min reading · 10 min station · reminders at 2 min

Instructions

You are a medical student on placement in general practice. Frank Doherty, 74, a retired builder, is here for the result of a biopsy of a sore on his right ear. The report is below.

  1. Take a focused history

  2. Interpret the report

  3. Explain the result and your management plan to the patient

Histopathology: right helix lesion

Histopathology: right helix lesion
ItemValueReference range
DiagnosisInvasive squamous cell carcinoma, moderately differentiated-
Tumour thickness4 mm-
Perineural invasionNot identified-
Lymphovascular invasionNot identified-
Peripheral marginsClear by 1 mm-
Deep marginInvolved-

Shave biopsy of a crusted, non-healing lesion on the right helix.

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Investigations