Skin cancer detection and prevention month: the other monthly self-exam

Every year, more than 1 million people in the United States learn they have basal- or squamous-cell skin cancer--and another 55,000 find out they have the most deadly form, melanoma. And it doesn't just affect older women: Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women ages 25-29, according to the American Cancer Society.

Checking your skin regularly can help detect all types of skin cancer early and reduce the risk of dying from melanoma by 60 percent. But few people do a brief self-exam on the recommended monthly basis. In a poll of 190 college students, Harvard School of Public Health researcher Marilyn Arnold, Sc.D., M.P.H., found that just 33 percent had ever performed a skin self-exam and only 5 percent of those had checked their entire body. More than half simply didn't know what to look for or never thought about it, and one-third didn't know it should be done, says the Boston-based Arnold, whose study was published last March in Preventive Medicine. Don't depend on your doctor to do the exam, either: In another survey of nearly 400 primary care doctors, only 60 percent routinely performed full-body skin exams on their patients who were at high risk of skin cancer, including people with fair skin and light eyes and those who suffered sunburns during childhood.

A mere one-fifth of the population routinely do self-exams of their skin for cancer, although such skin checks are effective, says David Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and an advisory board member of the Skin Cancer Foundation. "About 20-30 percent of the skin cancers I treat are picked up first by the patients," he says.

SKIN-CHECK HOW-TO'S

1. Once a month, stand in a well-lit area with full-length and handheld mirrors.

2. Check all areas for new skin growths or any other change in skin condition, such as a mole, beauty mark or age spot that has darkened or gotten larger.

3. Ask a family member or friend to check your back and your scalp.

For a step-by-step guide, view the Skin Cancer Foundation online tutorial at skincancer.org/self_exam/spot_skin_cancer.php.--K.D.

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