The most dangerous and aggressive skin cancer, malignant melanoma, can have a wide variety of appearances and usually develops rapidly. The ABCDE rule (also known as the ABCD rule in some countries) has therefore been promoted to help lay people recognize when it is time to see a dermatologist. But how effective is this rule? Our data clearly shows that another self-monitoring protocol has a superior sensitivity and better outcomes than the outdated ABCDE rule.
Often, early lesions of melanoma are ignored by the patient due to their similarity in appearance with freckles and moles. All are pigmented and appear benign and can only be differentiated via a biopsy in the early stages. Any mole that display the ABCDE characteristics needs to be evaluated. It should be noted that previously benign mole or freckle may undergo malignant transformation as well.
Over the past decade, Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been increasingly used as a novel noninvasive imaging device to diagnose skin cancer. Its popularity is attributed to its ability to examine the skin in real time by providing a cross-sectional imaging of the skin. In comparison to older tools used by dermatologists such as the reflectance confocal microscopy, OCT has significantly better imaging depth of up to 2mm and a wider field of view albeit with a lower cellular resolution.
In the Nordic countries, the incidence of melanoma has been rising at a gradual yet steady rate in the past century. Multiple smaller scale studies have previously reported an increase in age-adjusted incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) in the Nordic countries over the last 60 years. However, there have been few prospective population-based studies that […]
The prevalence of skin cancer, a leading cause of death around the world, is increasing at an exponential rate. Therefore, researchers are persistently striving to evolve and find innovative diagnostic strategies and promising treatments for this potentially fatal condition. Further advancements in this field may give rise to simpler tools for the diagnosis of skin lesions making invasive biopsy techniques unnecessary while also developing novel treatment options that have minimal adverse effects.
When a new patient visits a dermatologist for a skin lesion, the dermatologist’s initial step is to examine the lesion with his naked eye. To this end, a device called a dermoscope was designed that facilitates the diagnosis of skin lesions via usage of a magnifying glass and a light source to enhance the visualization of skin lesions in an outpatient setting.
Skin cancer is an uncontrolled growth of skin cells resulting from repeated DNA mutations, most often from chronic sun exposure. Despite increasing awareness regarding the risk factors for skin cancer, skin cancer continues to be one of the most prevalent forms of cancers worldwide. Among all the newly diagnosed cases of cancer in Australia, about […]
With significant advances in medicine over the past decade, almost 85% of melanoma patients have a good prognosis owing to early diagnosis and prompt management.
From Sydney to Port Hedland and from Perth to Townsville, Australia is well known for its diverse landscapes, beautiful places to visit, friendly locals, and for the many amazing experiences, however, this country is also well known to have the highest rates of certain types of skin cancer worldwide…