Skip to main content

Skin Cancer in the Lab

On Wed 22nd April '26 members welcomed Samara Dunne, very well known to some of our club members, she has degrees in biomedicine and biotechnology from RMIT University. Sumara and her family live in Ballarat and she works with surgical dermatologists at Ballarat Surgicentre.

80% of cancers diagnosed annually in Australia are skin cancers. Samara spoke of the damage sunlight, specifically the UV radiation, does to skin cells, making changes that lead to three types of skin cancers: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Samara works on squamous and basal cell carcinomas.

The Surgicentre practices Mohs surgery, a technique for removing skin cancers that aims to remove all cancerous matter while preserving tissue function, conserving healthy skin and achieving optimal cosmetic outcomes, particularly in visible areas such as the face and neck.

The Mohs process involves removal of cancerous tissue under local anaesthetic, after which the tissue is frozen, sliced into very thin sections, stained and examined under a microscope. A particular feature of Mohs surgery is to look for and remove any remaining microscopic ‘roots’ of the cancerous tissue before the wound is dressed and the patient sent home.

Mohs surgery has a 90% success rate in dealing with squamous and basal cell carcinomas. Melanoma is more complex and requires different techniques of management.

Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen!