Older Men Need a Hand in Inspecting for Possible Melanomas

Posted: April 24, 2009

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One reason why doctors found the melanomas earlier was that they looked for them, said Dr. Steven Wang, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, NJ. "It's very important for middle-aged and older men to see a physician for a total body examination," Wang said. "We don't have any effective cure for late-stage melanoma. Only early diagnosis followed by complete removal can improve the prognosis."

The study "highlighted what we suspected," Wang said. "This population, middle-aged and older men who might be more cavalier about their medical care, needs to be more aware of the danger associated with undiagnosed and untreated melanoma."

More information

The complete story on melanoma is told by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

HealthDay News, April 20, 2009