NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™

www.nebraskin.com

"Bringing Personalized Skin Care to the People of Nebraska"

NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™ SKIN CANCER FUN QUIZ

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Through telemedicine, we are now offering comprehensive skin consultations between your patients and the teaching faculty of Ivy League medical schools

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WHO SHOULD EVALUATE OR BIOPSY YOUR SKIN?

Melanoma: Prevention, diagnosis and treatment

The American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control estimates nearly 60,000 new cases of malignant melanoma diagnosed will be diagnosed in 2003.

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Melanomas are very dangerous skin cancers. Approximately five percent (5%) of all skin malignancies are melanomas. Melanoma may spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body, if not detected early, and may eventually kill.

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Images from left to right: Benign mole, Dysplastic mole, Malignant melanoma

The ABCDE method (see photos above) may help detect melanoma: A (most early melanomas are asymmetrical); B (borders of melanomas are uneven); C (color; varied shades of brown, tan, or black are often the first sign of melanoma); and D (diameter; early melanomas tend to grow larger than common moles, greater than 6 mm in diameter), E (elevation or enlargement, areas of melanoma may be elevated above the level of the adjacent skin and appear as small nodules, itch, ulcerate, or bleed).

The major risk factors for developing cutaneous melanoma are (in order of decreasing importance): (1) a new mole or pre-existing mole that has changed or is changing, (2) dysplastic moles with a prior personal history of melanoma and familial melanoma history, (3) dysplastic moles, and (4) large congenital moles. Melanoma may develop “de novo” from apparently “normal skin”. People with a history of “blistering” sunburns should be closely examined throughout life for melanomas.Each year, malignant melanoma kills about 100,000 people worldwide. Routine self examination of one’s skin is a very important component of early diagnosis of melanoma.

NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™ is a public-private effort in healthcare services related to educating Nebraskans about proper skin care as well as the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions, including skin cancers. If you undergo a skin biopsy, the skin specimen may be sent to NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™ and its affiliate, Pathology Services, P.C. for processing, evaluation, diagnosis, and inclusion in its database. Having your skin biopsy specimen(s) sent to Pathology Services, PC. is not required to avail yourself of the resources of NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™. If your healthcare provider sends your skin biopsy specimen elsewhere, NEBRASKA SKIN INSTITUTE ™ would appreciate a copy of your pathology report to include its diagnosis in its Nebraska cancer registry. Ongoing national research furthers our efforts to continually improve skin disease diagnosis and treatment for Nebraskans.

For more information about our services or to send skin biopsies to us, contact