Skin Cancer Screening

The American Cancer Society recommends a skin cancer-related checkup and counseling about sun exposure as part of any periodic health examination for men and women beginning at age 20. At Keris Dermatology, we take this recommendation very seriously and strongly recommend to all of our patients, irrespective of ethnicity or family history, to have at least one skin cancer screening in our office per year. Below are some facts you should know about skin cancer.

• More than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year.
• Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime.
• The incidence of melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, has been steadily increasing for the past 30 years.
• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second-most-common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.
• One American dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 61 minutes).
• Melanoma in individuals who are 10-39 years old is highly curable, with five-year survival rates exceeding 90 percent. The five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 99 percent.

As such, early detection of skin cancer during regular skin cancer screenings is critical. We will perform a thorough and methodical skin cancer screening during your in-office consultation.