May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month; physicians and researchers from the Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology are available to discuss disease prevention, treatments and research.
One of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed globally, skin cancer occurs when the tissues of the skin begin to grow abnormally. It exists in many forms, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (cancers of the middle and outermost layers of skin) and melanoma (cancer that affects the cells that make skin pigment).
Skin cancer can develop in any person at any age regardless of their skin tone, though individuals with less melanin (skin pigmentation) are at higher risk. Reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or artificial sources, such as tanning beds, can help prevent skin cancer. Routine skin exams conducted by a medical professional and self-exams can help catch it early on.
Currently, clinicians at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Dermatology are:
- Studying how high-frequency ultrasound can help characterize melanoma.
- Detailing how surgeons can improve skin cancer surgery outcomes by improving patient adherence to post-operation care.
- Developing gene delivery therapeutics for melanoma.
- Comparing melanoma patient outcomes based on diagnostic biopsy method.
