Five updates in melanoma/skin cancer detection, prevention

The American Academy of Dermatology designated May as National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in 1997 to raise awareness on various strategies to prevent skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States; however, if detected early, it can be highly treatable.

Research has shown that women are nine times more likely than men to notice melanoma on others. Therefore, the American Academy of Dermatology has launched the 2017 SPOT Skin Cancer campaign — titled “Check Your Partner. Check Yourself” — to encourage women to check both their partners and themselves for signs of skin cancer.

In conjunction with National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, HemOnc Today presents five updates in the detection and prevention of melanoma/skin cancer.

Smartphone technology can help improve the detection of melanoma, but several barriers must be overcome before it is used as more than a complementary tool. Read more.
A deep convolutional neural network — developed by researchers at Stanford University — effectively identified and diagnosed benign and malignant skin lesions via images uploaded to a computer at a comparable rate to the image recognition of the board-certified dermatologists. Read more.
To reduce melanoma incidence, prevention efforts can be shifted from indoor tanning to focus on outdoor sun protection in average-risk adults. Read more.
Primary care physician–based screening may increase screening rates for melanoma among men and older individuals. Screening also may improve the detection of thin, in situ and invasive melanomas. Read more.
Klaus J. Busam , MD, director of the dermatopathology service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, highlighted the role of molecular profiling in melanoma diagnosis during his presentation at HemOnc Today Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancies. Watch here.