BDO: Who was included in the study? Was it a mix of men and women? Is it a mix of different races? Different ages?
Dr. Ploch: It was a mix of different sexes, men and women, different races, different ages. The ages ranged from eighteen to sixty-four. It was a national survey, so everyone was invited to participate. We did find that men are a little less vigilant than women in terms of sun protection. They were a little less likely to apply sunscreen to their back and less likely to ask someone to help them apply sunscreen to their back. They were also more likely to be uncomfortable asking someone to apply sunscreen to their back than women were. So, it’s interesting to see the difference between men and women.
BDO: In the study were there particular findings broken out specifically for African Americans?
Dr. Ploch: Not yet, but we do know that African Americans are affected by melanoma. African Americans have a higher mortality rate from melanoma than Caucasians do and we’re not sure if it’s because they’re particularly affected with more aggressive types of melanoma or if there are delays in detection and treatment, because a lot of people with darker skin types think that they’re not quite as prone to skin cancer but we’re all prone to skin cancer regardless of our skin color.
BDO: What should people look for when checking their skin or looking for signs on other people? What are the signs of skin cancer we should be looking for?
Dr. Ploch: So, it’s really important to look at least once a year and get someone involved to help you. The American Academy of Dermatology study did show that while fifty-seven percent of us know how to check for skin cancer, only fifty percent of us do it on an annual basis, and only thirty-six percent of us look at our backs to look for skin cancer. Now, the things you want to look for are things that are changing, growing, bleeding, itching – changing in any way. A good way to keep track of that is to take photos or you can download a mole map at SpotSkinCancer.org, and you can put your moles on the diagram and track them over time so you can see from one year to the next if there’s anything new or if anything has grown. I do recommend to my patients that they measure their moles and take photos to document them.
Now, some of the things that you want to look for are the A-B-C-D-E’s of melanoma. A is for ‘Asymmetry’. That’s where one side looks different than the other. B is for ‘Border irregularity’ where the borders are blurred or notched. C is for ‘Color’, so if there’s multiple colors or if the color’s not consistent that’s a concern. D is for ‘Diameter’ so anything larger than a small pencil eraser, which is about 6mm, should be checked. And E is for ‘Evolving’ and that goes back to change. If something is changing in size, shape or color, or if it’s starting to bother you in some way, like itching or bleeding, it’s important to have it checked by a dermatologist.