Category Archives: melanoma

BUT not all melanomas are irregular in shape and colour… (Take some helpful selfies !)

An early melanoma may be perfectly circular, uniformly black in colour and only a few mm  wide. Just a BLACK DOT ! That’s why you should check your skin at least monthly to look for “NEW” spots. Take some “selfies” … Continue reading

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First melanoma this week…

What does a melanoma look like ? What you should watch out for ? Irregular shape (not round or oval) Irregular colour (different shades of brown or red)

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Viagra and the risk of melanoma

From the Dermatologist’s forum : “Just wondering what you tell patients about the melanoma risk with Viagra use? I’ve had 2 patients in the last week asking about it. The study was quite a decent prospective one but still the … Continue reading

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Sunscreen protection of moles (aka melanocytic nevi)…

Melanocytic nevi (moles) are considered melanoma precursors, and people with many melanocytic nevi are at increased risk for melanoma. Sun exposure, as well as being an etiologic agent for melanoma, also produces clinical, histological, and dermatoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi. … Continue reading

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Aspirin may prevent melanoma in postmenopausal Caucasian women…

In contrast to some earlier reports, in this large study, low-dose aspirin seemed to usefully reduce melanoma risk. Melanoma incidence is increasing, and safe, effective methods of prevention are highly sought. Whether nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) confer any benefit as … Continue reading

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Moles are a risk factor for basal cell carcinoma (BCC)…

Patients with multiple naevi (moles) have probably had considerable sun or tanning bed exposure and should be examined for BCC.  Naevi are a risk factor for melanoma, and the number in an individual grows with increasing ultraviolet radiation. Investigators asked … Continue reading

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More than 5% of melanomas are caused by tanning bed use…

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a unit of the World Health Organization, concluded in 2009 that sun beds, like radiation and cigarette smoke, are carcinogenic to humans. Since the meta-analysis that led to this conclusion, another eight epidemiologic … Continue reading

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Getting enough Vitamin D ?

Ever wondered if you are getting enough Vitamin D from the sun; here’s a brief guide: September to April; a few minutes to face, arms, hands outside peak UV times most days of the week. May to August; 2 to … Continue reading

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Indoor tanning may be more strongly associated with melanoma than sunburns…

  Medscape (by Johnson) reports, “Indoor tanning might be a more reliable predictor of invasive cutaneous melanoma than outdoor sunburns, according to a study presented…at the American Academy of Dermatology 70th Annual Meeting.” The new findings are based on the Minnesota … Continue reading

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Sun sets on ultraviolet tanning beds…

From the Sydney Morning Herald : COMMERCIAL tanning beds will be banned in NSW under radical new laws to be announced by the government today. NSW will be the only place in the world besides Brazil to institute a total … Continue reading

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