A few cancers vanish without any medical treatment. Researchers are studying these ‘spontaneous regressions’ to see if they can lead to new cancer treatments.
A mobile phone is not a medical device – so don’t believe apps that say they are.
Jason Howie/Flickr
With an estimated 100,000 health and fitness apps available, it seems there is an app for everything – from tracking your bowel movements to practising your pimple-popping technique.
Although skin cancer is preventable, South Africa still spends millions on treatment.
Reuters/Regis Duvignau
A recent study claims most people with melanoma don’t have many moles or any atypical moles. But exploring the study in depth shows these conclusions don’t have a strong foundation.
International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified UV-emitting tanning devices as a Group I carcinogen – the most dangerous cancer-causing substances.
Tanning bed via www.shutterstock.com.
Keytruda® is the latest drug to be registered in Australia for the treatment of widespread melanoma. But we must wait to see if it meets the cost-effectiveness targets for PBS subsidisation.
Sun exposure that doesn’t result in burning may still damage the skin cells.
Rain/Flickr
Around 30 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma every day and more than 1,200 die from the disease each year. While small amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation are required for the production of vitamin…
If you’re at high risk of skin cancer, check your skin regularly.
Roman Königshofer/Flickr
The earlier you find a cancerous mole, the easier the treatment and the better the outcomes. But it’s not easy distinguishing between harmless, benign moles and those that warrant further attention. In…
Europeans fall prey to skin cancer because of their lighter skin, while Africans’ dark skin protects them. But East Asians, whose skin colour resembles that of Europeans, are similar to Africans in their…
Melanomas may be less common than other skin cancers but their ability to become malignant and spread to other parts of the body makes them some of the deadliest if not caught early. More than 10,000 people…
The study found that the longer women take aspirin, the lower the risk of melanoma skin cancer.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry
Women who use aspirin for five or more years have a 30% lower risk of developing melanoma skin cancer than women who don’t take aspirin, a new study has found. Previous studies have linked aspirin with…
With the long, hot Australian summer comes the imperative to manage the country’s enormous skin cancer risk. Along with the growing raw numbers (11,545 skin cancer cases diagnosed in 2009) and rates of…
Misdiagnoses of melanoma costs money and lives, with highly variable smartphone apps adding to the problem.
AAP
Smartphone applications designed to help people work out if they have a melanoma are potentially harmful, getting it wrong in up to 30% of cases, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh…
The best way to guard against skin cancer remains covering up - and using sun screen.
Flickr/neloqua
A study that suggests vitamin A could reduce the risk of melanoma should be treated with caution, according to Australian cancer experts who say the results are inconclusive and involve potentially toxic…