Medical Esthetics Sponsored by A survey of patients undergoing
skin cancer screening shows that women were more likely to seek
screening because of a skin lesion, a family history of skin
cancer, or concern about sun exposure, whereas men age 50 and
older, a group at highest risk for melanoma, may only seek
screenings after a previous skin cancer diagnosis, according to
a report in the October issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals. In 2008, more than 62,000 Americans
were diagnosed with the skin cancer melanoma and almost 8,500
died from the disease, according to background information in
the article. Other skin cancers, including basal and squamous
cell carcinomas, are more common but less often fatal.
"Screening for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer involves a
full-body examination of the skin by a trained professional,"
the authors write. "However, screening asymptomatic individuals
without regard for risk factors can be low-yield. For example,
only 1.5 per 1,000 people sc