Summer is here and in addition to protecting your biggest organ outside, there’s no time like the present to make sure you’re in the clear. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., with about 3.5 million cases diagnosed each year. The good news is that when detected early, it has an extremely high cure rate. The five-year survival rate for patients whose skin cancer is detected before the tumor has penetrated the skin is about 97 percent. However, for those with advanced stages of the disease, that rate plummets to 15-20 percent. In other words, detection is key. It’s also easy; here’s what to do.
Get an annual baseline screening with a dermatologist. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, melanomas found by doctors tend to be earlier-stage than those found by patients. These tend to be quick, 10-15 minutes appointments geared to finding moles that look suspicious so they can be monitored or biopsied and sent to a lab to determine if they’re cancerous.
One easy way to get checked is with SPOTme® skin cancer screenings, a free pop-up screening service through the American Academy of Dermatology. (Find one in your state here.) You can also book directly through a dermatologist. To find a doctor in Oscar’s network, search here or or email us at help@hioscar.com.
Check yourself once a month: At your baseline screening, your doctor can help educate you on what to look for moving forward. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends checking yourself monthly. In fact, regular self-exams can potentially reduce melanoma mortality by up to 63 percent, according to a recent study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
For a quick primer/refresher on how to do it, click through to this easy skin cancer self-check reference page from the American Academy of Dermatology.
If you have questions or concerns about skin cancer during summer months and beyond, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 1-844-MD-OSCAR or help@hioscar.com. Our team of experts is ready to help, and can refer you to resources and in-network providers.