NEW YORK, USA – May is skin cancer awareness month. With over five million cases diagnosed in the US each year, skin cancer has been and remains today as the most common cancer diagnosed in the country. Despite this alarming fact, skin cancer is, fortunately, one of the most preventable and treatable cancers.
Every May, the country is reminded about the benefits of skin cancer screenings and the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and tanning beds. It is also the perfect time to see a board-certified dermatologist for a skin cancer screening and to discuss any concerns about one’s skin or a skincare routine.
A new editorial in SKIN
The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine discusses the benefits of skin cancer screening and provides evidence and examples of why it’s beneficial to patients. Lead author, Nicholas Brownstone MD, and co-author, Darrell S. Rigel, MD first raise the point that it is a generally accepted fact that screenings to detect early cancer saves lives. Furthermore, the American Academy of Dermatology’s national skin cancer screening programs have been a major success detecting thousands of melanomas. Therefore, skin cancer screenings have the potential to increase the survivability from melanoma by catching it at an earlier stage.
There are other substantial benefits of skin cancer that should be recognized. The skin cancer screening and associated office visit is a “teachable moment”, where the dermatology provider can educate the patient on the signs and symptoms of skin cancer. Many patients present to the office after they have recognized something on skin that looks suspicious on themselves or a loved one. When a skin cancer is diagnosed in this manner, it has the chance to be caught earlier.
Skin cancer screening does save lives and there are opportunities to improve it even further. New technology in melanoma diagnosis and prognosis, such as electric impedance spectroscopy and gene expression profile, may be integrated into the skin cancer screening paradigm to more accurately assess melanoma before a biopsy is needed. Free skin cancer screenings directed by Dermatologists will be occurring across the US during the month of May. The authors conclude that the public should look for these programs locally to continue obtaining benefits from these critical public health programs.
The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine® is a peer-reviewed online medical journal that is the official journal of The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine. The mission of SKIN is to provide an enhanced and accelerated route to disseminate new dermatologic knowledge for all aspects of cutaneous disease.
