August 20, 2007 (Insidermedicine) If you have a type of skin cancer called melanoma, the closer you live to your skin doctor, the more likely you will be diagnosed. Survival for patients with melanoma depends on what stage it is diagnosed at, and the earlier you are diagnosed the better.

This is what we already know about melanoma:
•    Melanoma is a serious and sometimes life-threatening cancer, affecting approximately 50,000 people each year
•    Exposure to the sun can raise the risk- but it can occur anywhere on the body, even in areas that are not exposed to the sun
•    A doctor can diagnose melanoma through a biopsy. If it is found and treated in its early stages, the chances of recovery are very good. If not, melanoma can grow deeper into the skin and spread to other parts of the body, where it is difficult to treat.

Many factors can affect diagnosis and survival from cancer, including a person’s level of education, financial status, and the availability of doctors in the area. It is thought that the distance a person has to travel to their doctor may also influence diagnosis and survival.

In a study of more than 600 patients with melanoma, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that for each one mile increase in distance from home to a doctor’s office, the depth of tumour cells in the skin increased by 0.6%. As the thickness of tumour cells increases, overall survival decreases. Patients who traveled more than 15 miles had tumours 20% thicker than those patients who traveled 15 miles or less. The study was published in the Archives of Dermatology.

The best way to prevent melanoma is to reduce the amount of time you spend in the sun - especially the middle of the day when the sun is strongest - and to make sure that you are well protected with sunscreen when you are in the sun. You should also check for moles that have changed in size or shape or that bleed, and have them promptly checked by your doctor.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Petra Joller.