Skin Cancer

Beginning this week, we will publish a series of case studies and quizzes on the subtypes and features of melanoma.

Wrong-site surgeries are preventable. In this article, Dr. Goldberg outlines a few measures.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approval of ipilimumab (Yervoy) to include the treatment of pediatric melanoma patients 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic disease.

Data-driven screening guidelines for skin cancer have been published electronically, in reaction to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s 2016 draft recommendation statement on skin cancer screening.

Extracorporeal photopheresis is underused for early-stage mycosis fungoides. ECP is capable of correcting the cytokine imbalance seen in patients with MF and results in an increase of Th1 cytokines. Clinicians should consider more frequent use in select patients

Laser for melanoma in situ (MIS) should generally be reserved for nonsurgical, usually elderly patients. When indicated, MIS may be treated with CO2 laser or with combined Q-switched Nd:YAG and imiquimod. Any atypical-appearing lesion should be biopsied prior to the start of a laser treatment.

Dermatologists should be versed and informed about the specific attitudes and lifestyle habits that could be fueling rising skin cancer risk in the Hispanic population, according to dermatologist Maritza I. Perez, M.D.

Cyclosporine and PUVA clearly increase the risk of squamous cell carcinomas, and there is evidence that TNF blockers and methotrexate may do so to a lesser degree. UVB phototherapy has not been shown to cause skin cancer. Acitretin offers protection against the development of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Today’s SRT technology embodies very small, stable machines. Radiation leaks are not longer a concern. The SRT-100 System serves both an important medical and cosmetic role.

About one third of the more than 118,000 people who received free skin cancer screenings from the AAD’s SPOTme program in 2009 and 2010 indicated they had recently seen a change in the size, shape or color of a mole.

Melanoma rates continue to rise, especially thin lesions which represents the largest group of fatalities. Gene expression profile tests can help diagnose or predict melanoma and are easy to use. But many dermatologists do not follow recommended treatment guidelines, which indicates a need to either educate practitioners or rethink the guidelines.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are providing rapid and durable responses for patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

Newer tools to help diagnose challenging lesions include combined immunohistochemical stains and a growing array of genetic tests, one of which has shown the potential to gauge metastatic risk.

Melanoma’s burden is increasing and the rising rates cannot simply be attributed to increased disease detection, according to a research letter published last month in JAMA Dermatology.

The incidence of melanoma appears to be on the rise except for that observed in the younger population, underscoring a positive trend and hope for the fight against skin cancer.

Despite increased insight on skin cancer risk factors, the incidence continues to rise worldwide. This review article summarizes new treatment options available, which help to redefine and expand the diagnosis of advanced BCC and allow dermatologists to offer more effective therapy to a broader population.

Experts discuss diagnosis and management of pediatric melanoma, including the latest developments in genetic tools and indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 and CeraVe Sunscreen SPF 50 for Face (both by Valeant Pharmaceuticals) have been awarded Skin Cancer Foundation seals.

In this edition of Clinical Considerations, we examine the benefits of the dermatoscope, caring for psoriasis patients, and treating AK patients.

The goal of treatment for severely sun-damaged patients’ lesions is field therapy, which not only treats what dermatologists see, but also subclinical disease.

New information could eventually help identify a high-risk population before they get cancer - even prevent skin cancer’s onset.

An expert advises evaluating each patient’s surrounding circumstances when determining whether Mohs surgery is indicated.

Mohs surgery experts advise when Mohs is and isn’t optimal skin cancer treatment.

EWG, which focuses on consumer and environmental health, claims that 72 percent of 750 available sunscreens the group evaluated offer inferior protection or contain ingredients that could harm skin. Some pediatric dermatologists weigh in.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare disease that leads to early skin cancer. New insights may lead to better prevention and survival for patients, as well as point to ways that UV-resistant gene functions could be used for skin cancer prevention and treatment.

A gene expression profile test rivals sentinel node biopsy in predicting distant metastasis in stage 1 and stage 2 melanoma, according to results from a new multicenter performance study.

The future of skin cancer and other disease detection could change with the development of a photonics device that listens to light.

The European Dermatology Forum and International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) has created international treatment guidelines for actinic keratosis that include optimal treatment strategies and recommendations.

Dermatologists attending the annual meeting for the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, in Naples, took a break from meeting sessions and presentations to hike a three-mile stretch of the beach wearing sun protective clothes and sunscreen, and talking with beachgoers about skin cancer recognition and prevention.

Early study results indicate the potential for a new class of inhibitory compounds to enhance the effect of anti-tumor drugs in melanoma treatment. What the future may hold.