Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma has become a significant healthcare problem, with rising incidence trends over the past few decades. In the absence of effective treatment approaches for advanced disease, the best means of reducing deaths by melanoma is early detection, either by regular physician screening or through public education. The latter aims to increase skin awareness among the public, inform on suspicious or concerning skin lesions and promote thorough skin self-examination (look-and-see approach). Educational campaigns, promoted by the media and combined with skin cancer screening have primarily led to the detection of thin melanomas, yielding an improved case fatality rate and a potential for reduced melanoma mortality. Educational and early detection efforts can be cost effective when targeting individuals at moderate-to-high risk for developing melanoma. The advent of improved technology and the utilization of the internet have improved the methods of pursuing public education on melanoma. Numerous organizations have launched melanoma websites with photographs of benign and malignant pigmented lesions assessed by specific morphologic criteria, such as the ABCD-E criteria, and other self-recognition signs. Randomized trials testing different methods of patient education have also shown that videotapes, photographs, computer-based education and multimedia intervention programs can further optimize self-examination and recognition of melanoma. In summary, our means of raising public awareness of melanoma have much improved; however, we still need to concentrate on those individuals who are disproportionately affected by the mortality of the disease, such as middle to older age men, or individuals of low socioeconomic status.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.