When his brother-in-law urged Peter to get a mole checked, Peter never imagined it would be melanoma, a dangerous skin cancer. But it was.
When his brother-in-law urged Peter to get a mole checked, Peter never imagined it would be melanoma, a dangerous skin cancer. But it was.
From total body scanning to genomic testing, emerging technologies are transforming the way doctors understand, diagnose and treat skin cancers.
While all types of skin cancer are less common in people of color, their outcomes are dramatically worse. Our expert explains what accounts for this gap.
After three surgeries and immunotherapy to treat stage III melanoma, Adam Degi is determined to educate people about the dangers of skin cancer. Undeterred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Adam and his wife planned virtual 5K fundraisers supporting The Skin Cancer Foundation during Skin Cancer Awareness Month in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Pediatric melanomas are rare and different from adult cases, but they can happen. One young girl’s story, how St. Jude helped and what parents need to know.
In the ABCDEs of melanoma, “dark” may be an even more important warning sign than “diameter” and deserves more awareness.
You might already know that catching a cancer early means a more favorable prognosis. But it can be difficult to comprehend just how big a difference early detection makes with melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanoma should never be underestimated, but treating a tumor early rather than after it is allowed to progress could be lifesaving.
Amelanotic melanomas can resemble other skin cancers like basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, or worse, may be mistaken for benign moles, scars or cysts. This can delay diagnosis, which may prove dangerous, since early detection of melanoma is critical; early melanomas are almost always curable, while those that advance beyond stage I become more difficult to treat.
So you’re sitting in the dermatologist’s waiting room, filling out the usual forms required for a doctor visit. After filling in the basics, you spot the next question and realize you’re stumped: it’s asking about your family’s medical history. Has anyone in your family had melanoma or any other form of skin cancer? Here’s why the doctor asks, and what you need to know.
Sometimes the hero of the story is the one who keeps an eye on your skin and pushes you to see a dermatologist.
