Melanoma Can Arise From Moles on the Soles and Palms

Source: Medical Research, January 2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Jennifer A. Stein MD PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology
NYU Langone Medical Center

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Stein: Although acral melanoma is not a common cancer, it is the most common form of melanoma in African Americans. There is low awareness about acral melanoma, and it tends to get detected later and is more often fatal than other types of melanoma.

Our study looked at awareness of and the prevalence of pigmented lesions on the hands and feet. People with darker skin were more likely to have a pigmented lesion on their soles or palms than people with lighter skin. We found that more than half of the people in the study were not aware that they had a pigmented lesion on their feet. Our study found that most pigmented lesions on the hands and feet are benign, and that an imaging technique called dermsocopy can be used to distinguish benign from malignant acral lesions.