Recognizing Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Image credit: © Waseem Ali Khan - stock.adobe.com

Dermatology clinicians and Mohs surgeons are crucial to the detection and treatment of skin cancer, especially with more than 5 million cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the US.¹ This Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Dermatology Times spoke with numerous leaders who specialize in skin cancer. For example, the month’s cover feature spotlights the physicians of Harris Dermatology, a practice that only treats patients with skin cancer.

Brothers Brian Harris, MD; Keith Harris, MD; and H. Ross Harris, MD, treat patients in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida, helping them with skin cancer prevention and treatment. While discussing Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the Harris brothers touched on key aspects of skin cancer, including how they serve their community with free skin cancer screenings, recognizing that patients are living longer and therefore need continued skin cancer prevention, comorbidities that can be associated with skin cancer, and more.

In this issue, you will also find a deep dive into the association between chronic skin diseases and alcohol use disorder due to a decreased quality of life. Nicholas Brownstone, MD, a dermatology resident at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reviews the importance of screening dermatology patients for alcohol use disorder, especially in patients significantly impacted by social stigmatization and negative self-identity associated with pigmentary disorders.

Hawasatu Dumbuya, PhD, the director of clinical research and medical affairs for La Roche-Posay at L’Oréal USA, explores the efficacy of prebiotic skin care in mild atopic dermatitis (AD) and severe xerosis in patients with skin of color. Dumbuya also addresses the fact that AD is understudied in patients with skin of color, and even more, there is a limited number of studies showing the benefits of emollients in the management of AD in diverse patients.

As always, Dermatology Times provides our readers with the most up-to-date clinical content, from innovative studies and FDA approvals to exclusive interviews and expert insights. Keep up with the latest data and subscribe to Dermatology Times e-newsletters, follow us on social media, and email us with ideas and feedback at DTEditor@mmhgroup.com.

Reference

1. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!. Skin Cancer Foundation. Updated April 2024. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://www.skincancer.org/get-involved/skin-cancer-awareness-month/