Education at mammogram impacts skin cancer awareness

Source: Dermatology Times, November 2018

A recent study shows that a significant number of patients scheduled for a regular screening for breast cancer showed interest and could easily be encouraged to further screen for melanoma via self-skin examination (SSE) when given the opportunity and instructions to do so in an outpatient mammography environment.

The introduction of such an intervention program could be an effective strategy to increase skin cancer awareness in a large proportion of at-risk women and presents a golden opportunity for the early detection of melanoma in those patients already invested in preventive health.

“The ongoing outreach effort with women having mammograms is intended to increase awareness of their risk of developing a melanoma. Self-skin examinations among this group of women is a natural add-on to their existing health promotion manifested by their having regular mammograms. The program encourages SSE as a means to become aware of concerning moles and provides information as to when to seek an appointment with a dermatologist,” said June Robinson, M.D., department of dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.