An intensive educational intervention targeting siblings of recently diagnosed melanoma patients leads to sustained improvements in the rate of self skin-examination, according to a new study.
Published in the August 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that the diagnosis of melanoma in a family member represents a unique teaching opportunity for lasting behavioral change targeting skin self-examination.
The study is the first randomized trial comparing the impact of interventions on skin cancer prevention and screening practices in a high-risk family group.
Melanoma is a cancer arising from pigmented cells called melanocytes, most commonly found in the skin. Because of its tendency to rapidly become invasive and metastasize to other organs, it is the deadliest of skin cancers. Regular, whole body skin examinations remain the most effective screening tool to reduce mortality rates and detect melanomas before they become invasive and fatal.
Over the last 50 years the incidence of melanoma has increased 15-fold, more than any other cancer, and in the last 25 years mortality has increased 28 percent. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning lamps greatly increases an individual's risk. Melanoma risk is 2-8 times higher among people with a first-degree relative (e.g., father, mother, or sibling) diagnosed with the disease. However, many high-risk families are never screened by physicians or perform skin self-examinations.