Highlights
Featured Dermatologists
Dan Siegel, M.D.
Smithtown, NY
Stephen Proper, M.D.
Tampa, FL
Amy Slear, M.D.
Plainview, NY
Eliot N. Mostow, M.D.
Akron, OH
Our Mission
Skin Cancer Doctors provides skin cancer information from dermatologists. Its in-depth and practical resources have been written by skin cancer experts to improve patient care.
Dermatologist Helps Explain Sun Exposure, Sunscreens and Vitamin D
November 10, 2009
Dermatologist Elizabeth L. Tanzi, MD, FAAD, clinical faculty in the department of dermatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital Center in Baltimore announced the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) increased recommendation on the minimum Sun Protection.
To address the issue of people not using enough sunscreen or reapplying improperly, the Academy recently increased its recommended SPF to a minimum of 30 for proper sun protection.
Dr. Tanzi said that while sunscreen is important to protect against skin cancer, it is only one part of what should be an overall sun-protection program. To minimize your risk of skin cancer, the Academy recommends that everyone Be Sun Smart℠:
- Generously apply a broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 to all exposed skin. "Broad-spectrum" provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Re-apply approximately every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.
- Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.
- Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
- Protect children from sun exposure by playing in the shade, using protective clothing, and applying sunscreen.
- Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun which can increase your chance of sunburn.
- Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.
- Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you've been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.
- Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing, or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.
Non-melanoma skin cancer risk increases with use of immunosuppressive drugs for IBD
October 26, 2009
HealthDay reported that, according to a study to be presented at an upcoming medical conference, "inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who are being treated with immunosuppressive medications may be at increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancer." Investigators "analyzed data on 26,403 Crohn's disease patients and 26,974 patients with ulcerative colitis." They discovered that "the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer was higher in IBD patients than in a control group."
Study leader Dr. Millie Long, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill concluded that the study "demonstrates that patients with IBD on immunosuppression may also be at risk for non-melanoma skin cancer. As a result, our long-term management plans for IBD patients should stress the daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen and increased awareness of non-melanoma skin cancer to help to prevent complications."
Skin Cancer Risk Inherited
October 10, 2009
Skin cancer risk can be inherited, according to two new studies. One found that having an identical twin with melanoma increased a person's own risk of developing melanoma much more than having a fraternal twin with this type of skin cancer. The other found that having a sibling or parent with one of several different types of non-melanoma skin cancer increased risk as well.
In an Australian study, Dr. Sri N. Shekar of the University of Queensland in Brisbane and his colleagues attempted to do so by looking at twin pairs in which at least one sibling had been diagnosed with melanoma. Based on the findings, having an identical twin with melanoma increased a person's own risk of the disease nearly 10-fold, while melanoma associated with having a non-identical twin with the disease was roughly doubled.
In a second study, Dr. Shehnaz K. Hussain of the University of California Los Angeles and colleagues looked at the Swedish Family-Cancer Database to gauge the risk for several types of skin cancer among siblings and children of people diagnosed with these diseases. Based on the findings, Hussain and colleagues conclude, a person's family history can be used to gauge their own skin cancer risk, and genetic studies could be a useful way to identify potential targets for treating or preventing the disease. Read more about skin cancer risk.
Dermatologists Warn Farmers to Seek Care for Suspicious Moles
October 7, 2009
Dermatologists say farmers are at risk of more than a "farmer's tan"; excessive exposure to UV radiation puts farmers at an increased risk of skin cancer, which can be deadly.
"More than 11,000 Americans die each year from skin cancer, but when detected early, skin cancer has a cure rate of 99 percent," said dermatologist David M. Pariser, MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Since research shows farmers are among the least likely workers to receive a skin examination by a physician, it's important that farmers perform regular skin self-examinations, which could mean the difference between life and death."
People are advised to use the ABCDEs of Melanoma Detection to determine if a mole or skin lesion should be brought to the attention of a dermatologist. Characteristics of moles for which individuals should check their skin are: Asymmetry (one half unlike the other half), Border (irregular, scalloped or poorly defined), Color (varies from one area to another; shades of tan and brown, black; sometimes white, red or blue), Diameter (the size of a pencil eraser or larger), and Evolving (changing in size, shape or color). A mole with any of these characteristics, or one that is an "ugly duckling", meaning it looks different from the rest, should be brought to a dermatologist's attention.
Melanoma Vaccine in Development
October 1, 2009
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are examining a tumor-specific protein called recombinant human melanoma antigen A3 (MAGE-A3) to determine whether it will interact with the body's immune system and target melanoma cells.
Developing a vaccine for melanoma is an old and good idea, but one with a 20-some year record of failure in clinical trials, According to James Spencer, M.D., M.S., associate professor of clinical dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, developing a vaccine for melanoma has a 20-year record of failure in clinical trials.
"The idea is to get the body to generate either antibodies or cytotoxic T cells to destroy the melanoma. The problem is that melanoma shuffles its ... antigens; so, by the time you generate the antibodies, the melanoma has changed the protein on the surface of its cell," Dr. Spencer says.
Melanoma Risk Not Changed by Vitamin D Intake
October 1, 2009
The intake of vitamin D does not affect the risk of developing melanoma, according to a recent study.
"The amount of vitamin D that you consume (in diet) and that you take in supplements does not influence your risk of melanoma, based on this study," says Maryam Asgari, M.D., M.P.H., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, and a clinical assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco.
The study involved more than 68,000 participants who were followed prospectively for up to five years. The study subjects were aged 50 through 76, with slightly more males than females, recruited between 2000 and 2002.
Interestingly, investigators observed that increased intake of vitamin D through diet alone resulted in elevated risk of developing melanoma, Dr. Asgari says. "The more they consumed from their diet, the more increased risk they had," she says. "When you combined diet with a supplement, however, which is total value, we did not see an increased risk of melanoma," Dr. Asgari says. Read more about melanoma and vitamin D.
Depression increases risk of skin disease
October 2009
A large Australian study has confirmed that stress and depression can be factors in the development of skin disease (Arch Dermatol;145:896-902). Using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, researchers tested their hypothesis that psychological factors can precipitate or exacerbate skin disease. Women between the ages of 22 and 27 at baseline in 1996 were surveyed about physical and mental health symptoms then and on three follow-up occasions: 9,688 women in 2000, 9,081 women in 2003, and 8,910 women in 2006. As part of these surveys, women were asked how often they had experienced skin problems in the previous year.
In the generalized estimating equation models, depression symptoms and stress (but not anxiety) were significantly associated with skin problems (P < .005). The findings of this relationship of depression and stress to skin disease may have considerable clinical implications, including implications for adjunctive psychological interventions in the management of patients with skin disease. Read more about depression and skin disease.
Better UV Protection Provided by Some Colors
September 23, 2009
The same cotton fabric dyed deep blue or red may provide greater UV protection than shades of yellow. The study, performed by scientists in Spain, could lead to fabrics with better sun protection. The scientists explain that the color of a fabric is one of the most important factors in determining how well clothing protects against UV radiation. Gaps, however, exist in scientific knowledge about exactly how color interacts with other factors to influence a fabric's ability to block ultraviolet protection factor (UPF).
Read more about cloth color and UV protection.
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