Breast cancer survivors 16% more likely to develop melanoma, new study reveals
Source: AZ Family, October 2022
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – The International Journal of Cancer has released a study that shows that breast cancer survivors are 16% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never had the cancer.
Dr. Karan Lal, director of pediatric dermatology and cosmetic surgery at Affiliated Dermatology said, “A lot of breast cancer survivors are subject to getting chemotherapy and getting radiation therapy that’s part of their treatment regimen, which, in general, put people at risk for other types of cancers.” The doctor said that the correlation is not talked about much despite melanoma being the most common type of cancer in the world.
“I try to encourage a lot of people, when doing their self breast exams every month, [that] they also check their skin every month and look for any changing moles or any spots,” Dr. Lal said. “I think it’s important to recognize the signs of a changing mole.”