Who should be screened for skin cancer?

Pores and skin most cancers is the commonest most cancers within the U.S. Greater than 6 million adults are handled for it every year, says Dr. Michael Colgan, a Mayo Clinic Well being System dermatologist in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Melanoma is an aggressive type of pores and skin most cancers. In 2025, an estimated 104,960 circumstances of invasive melanoma can be recognized within the U.S., and an estimated 8,430 individuals will die of melanoma, based on the American Most cancers Society. When detected early, nonetheless, the five-year survival fee for melanoma is 99%.

In the case of who could also be most susceptible to growing melanoma, it’s typically thought that these with darker complexions shouldn’t have to take the identical precautions as these with honest complexions. The truth is that nobody is resistant to melanoma.

Whereas individuals with a darker complexion might have considerably elevated safety from the solar, they’re nonetheless susceptible to growing melanoma pores and skin most cancers. Extra generally for these with a darker complexion, melanoma develops on the extremities—fingers and toes—with worse tumors on the time of analysis and poorer subsequent outcomes if not caught early.

Pores and skin checks

Look out for:

A brand new development on the pores and skin which may seem like a mole, bump or scab.
A tough patch on the pores and skin.
A sore on the pores and skin that will not heal.
Modifications to a mole or freckle—getting greater or altering coloration.
Itchy pores and skin round a pores and skin development.
Ache round a pores and skin development.

A pores and skin examine by a dermatologist normally solely takes a couple of minutes, however that quick time spent within the physician’s workplace might add years to a affected person’s life if pores and skin most cancers is detected early.

For higher-risk people, together with these with a private or household historical past of melanoma, individuals over age 65, these with a suppressed immune system, people who burn simply, in addition to those that have light-colored eyes and hair, a baseline analysis with a dermatologist is important after which continued at really helpful intervals going ahead, as decided by the well being care crew.

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