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Book a chunk of time for your appointment with the dermatologist. It should be a lengthy and thorough visit. A new study by Yale researchers suggests that only a total body skin exam by a dermatologist can ensure detecting and catching cancerous skin abnormalities.
The study was published in the Archives of Dematology. Scientists looked at the medical records of 400 patients who had been referred by non-specialists to dermatologists with the Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Each had at least one potentially malignant lesion. Of 149 that actually were malignant, 41 percent of the lesions had been undetected by the non-specialists.
Author Dr. Daniel G. Federman, professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said, "The study shows how important it is for people to get a total body skin exam. The earlier a malignant lesion is detected, the better the chances are for recovery."
Dr. Federman added that putting too much faith in teledermatology a technique in which skin conditions are communicated to dermatologists electronically or by phone --- can miss cancerous lesions. He added it's critical that non-specialists receive more training in detecting skin care.
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