How Do You Self-Check For Skin Cancer?
One of the main reasons for the wonderfully high cure rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer is the ability to detect it in its early stages. However, early detection doesn’t happen in a vacuum -– it relies on each person taking an active role in their health care by learning how to check their bodies for potentially cancerous lesions. Unfortunately, research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology shows that only 8% of surveyed U.S. workers had a skin exam in the previous 12 months. That’s an abysmally low number, considering that finding a cancerous lesion early just may save your life. Have you thought about performing a self-examination, but don’t know what to do? Fear not! Here are answers to five common questions about skin self-exams. How often should I perform a self-exam? Minimally, ask your general practitioner to perform a skin examination during annual physicals (
