ASCO20: Total-Body Skin Exams and Diagnosis of Skin Cancers
Posted: Monday, June 8, 2020
Total-body skin examinations performed by dermatologists demonstrated increased diagnostic efficacy for skin cancer compared with partial-skin exams, according to a presentation during the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program (Abstract 10078). These findings reveal the clinical utility of this assessment tool, despite the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force determining the current body of evidence supporting total-body skin exams as insufficient, according to James A. Solomon, MD, of Ameriderm Research, Ormond Beach, Florida, and colleagues.
From 2018 to 2019, 930,706 patients who underwent total-body skin exams (n = 438,027) or partial-skin exams (n = 492,679) were enrolled in the study. Patient electronic records were obtained from a multistate dermatology group practice and were assessed for the total number of malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma diagnoses. The investigators aimed to determine the clinical efficacy of total-body skin exams as a screening tool for detecting various skin cancers.
Analyses revealed a significantly increased number of diagnosed cancers when total-body skin exams were administered compared with partial-skin exams. Specifically, 1 malignant melanoma was diagnosed for every 161.0 total-body skin exams and 371.3 partial-skin exams performed; 1 squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed for every 56.7 total-body skin exams and 108.4 partial-skin exams conducted; 1 basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed for every 10.2 total-body skin exams and 17.8 partial-skin exams administered.
To put these findings into clinical perspective, the investigators noted: “A total-body skin examination is 23.5 times more likely to identify a malignant melanoma than a Pap smear is to identify cervical cancer. This trend holds even when adjusted for prevalence.”
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the authors, visit coi.asco.org.
