Article:

Protect each other from melanoma—monthly skin exams

November is national healthy skin awareness month, so it is a great time to talk about preventing melanoma. Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer, killing about one person per hour in the US. Its incidence has risen dramatically worldwide during the past five decades, with concomitant increases in mortality. The good news is that mortality has decreased recently in the US, presumably owing partly to early detection and treatment of the disease, when it is usually curable. This is according to an article by Dr. Marianne Berwick, PhD, MPH, professor and chief of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of New Mexico’s Department of Internal Medicine and associate director of the Population Science Program, UNM Cancer Center, Albuquerque.

Early detection and treatment of skin cancer are the most important aspect of our mission at Austin Skin. Anyone can get melanoma but fair skinned people who have gotten their skin sunburned, spend a lot of time in the sun or who have used indoor tanning salons are at higher risk. Our expert skin care providers want you to know that the most common location for a woman to have melanoma is on the legs. Most women who shave their legs see the fronts of their legs regularly, but still have difficulty seeing the backs of their legs clearly using only a mirror. This is contrary to intuition, which would suggest that sun exposed areas like the face and hands have a higher risk.

Similarly, the most common location for a man to have melanoma is on the back. Again, most people are surprised by this location. At Austin Skin we want to point out that couples have an advantage over singles in that they can utilize their partner in checking their legs and back once a month for new or changing moles. Singles should find a friend or relative who is comfortable checking these areas monthly for them. The advent of digital photography can take a simple skin check to a whole new level, allowing comparison of moles from month to month. Whenever there is any question about a new or changing mole, a full body skin exam at a dermatology clinic is the best way to protect yourself by detecting melanomas early.

More than 90 percent of melanomas diagnosed today in the US and Australia are successfully treated with early surgery. Let’s keep this great trend going with monthly skin checks! If you, a friend or family member need the expertise of a dermatology clinic remember Austin Skin now has 3 locations: Austin, Bastrop and La Grange.

—Dr. Ladd