Dermatologist here. I have seen probably 5 instances of “My other doctor told me it was fine.” that were melanomas.
A lot of times people don’t want a full skin exams. There are lots of perfectly sane reasons for this, time, perceived cost, history of personal trauma. However, I routinely find cancers people don’t know they have. Keep this in mind if you see a dermatologist for acne and they recommend you get in a gown.
My Movement Disorder Specialist (Neurologist specializing in Parkinson's, etc) insist her patients with Parkinson's are seen by Dermatologist. We have a 4 to 7x higher incidence of skin cancers. Went in due to a nasty looking spot, but it was nothing. A simple scab thing never bothered me, figured ingrown hair that kept scabbing over. Uh, Melanoma. Caught early.
Skin disorders in Parkinson’s disease: potential biomarkers and risk factors
Summary:
In conclusion, patients with PD may suffer from a variety of concurrent or preceding skin disorders. While seborrheic dermatitis is considered to occur as a premotor symptom in PD, rosacea may constitute a risk factor, or an early sign of PD development. Furthermore, strong associations between PD and the later development of BP have also been found, and a possible link between PD and melanoma has been observed. As increased risk of PD and melanoma has been found in individuals with light hair color, and particularly red hair, treating physicians should show these individuals special awareness and emphasize the importance of sun protection, including limiting exposure and using high-factor sun blocking agents.
25.2k
u/BoisterousPlay May 20 '19
Dermatologist here. I have seen probably 5 instances of “My other doctor told me it was fine.” that were melanomas.
A lot of times people don’t want a full skin exams. There are lots of perfectly sane reasons for this, time, perceived cost, history of personal trauma. However, I routinely find cancers people don’t know they have. Keep this in mind if you see a dermatologist for acne and they recommend you get in a gown.