Routine skin checks may lower your risk of dying

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-11-04 02:00

Australia; NSW; QLD; ACT

Nodular melanoma. This tumour demonstrates significant symmetry, a smooth outline and only minimal pigmentation peripherally. The tumour is clinically ulcerated and has a Breslow thickness of 3.72mm. Attribution: Melanoma Institute Australia

People who have their melanomas detected by routine skin checks may be less likely to die from any cause within 10 years compared to those people who noticed their own melanomas, according to Australian research. The researchers also found that melanomas discovered through routine skin checks were thinner, and less likely to show recent change, than those discovered by patients. However, the study failed to show significant benefit for melanoma-specific death rates once clinical, sociodemographic and patient factors were taken into account. The authors say this shows that a large randomised clinical trial is needed to know for sure if screening for skin cancer reduces melanoma-related deaths.

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From:

Association Between Melanoma Detected During Routine Skin Checks, Risk of Death

JAMA Dermatology
Original Investigation

What The Study Did: Researchers found that melanomas diagnosed through routine skin checks were associated with a significantly lower all-cause risk of death but not melanoma-specific death in this study of 2,452 patients in Australia.

Authors: Anne E. Cust, Ph.D., of the University of Sydney, is the corresponding author.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Dermatology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Sydney, The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society, The University of New South Wales, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Queensland, Australian National University

Funder: Thisworkwas supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (grant No. 1135285 from the Centre of Research Excellence in Melanoma and grant No. 1165936 from Project Grant); grant No. 05/POC/1-06 from the Cancer Institute New SouthWales; and the New SouthWales State Government via a grant to the New SouthWales Melanoma Network. Additional financial and in-kind supportwas provided by the Melanoma Institute Australia and the New South Wales Melanoma Network; grant 1137127 from the National Health and Medical Research Council Next Generation Clinical Researchers Program Practitioner Fellowship (Dr Soyer); a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellowship (Dr Scolyer); investigator grant No. 1194703 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Dr Morton); a University of Sydney Robinson Fellowship (Dr Morton); grant No. 1093017 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Drs Scolyer, Mann, and Thompson); and a Career Developmental Fellowship grant No. 1147843 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Dr Cust).

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