Broader Recommendations for Skin Cancer Checks

A group of Skin Cancer Experts and Dermatologists in the US, came together and recommended a clearer set of criteria on who should be screened for Melanoma.

They assessed their current guidelines and also considered those from around the world (including Australia) to come up with a new set of guidelines for detecting Melanoma.

New Skin Check Guidelines

Anyone with the following needs annual (or more frequent) skin checks;

- history of Melanoma, BCC, SCC, or Actinic Keratoses (sunspots)
- Melanoma in one or more family members
- family history suggestive of a hereditary predisposition to Melanoma
- light skin (Fitzpatrick I-III)
- blonde or red hair
- more than 40 total nevi (birthmark/mole)
- two or more atypical nevi
- many freckles
- severely sun-damaged skin
- history of blistering or peeling sunburns
- history of indoor tanning

We wholeheartedly support these new recommendations.

Australia has had such guidelines for more than 20 years.

References:
Skin cancer screening: recommendations for data-driven screening guidelines and a review of the US Preventive Services Task Force controversy (http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/mmt-2016-0022)
Should You Have a Scan for Skin Cancer? (https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-you-have-a-scan-for-skin-cancer-1491233386)