EXFOLIATING MAY HELP PREVENT SKIN CANCER.

* People with sun damage and potentially abnormal cells on their skin may be able to eliminate these cells before they become dangerous through exfoliation, according to dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. In her report, published in the Sun & Skin News from The Skin Cancer Foundation, Dr. Jaliman revealed that exfoliation either involves the use of a rough implement such as a loofah, or chemical exfoliation with Retin-A or alpha and beta hydroxy acids. The report also advised that exfoliation should occur once or twice a week, more in the summer than the winter, and more often for oily or dark skin that pale, dry or delicate skin.

The Skin Cancer Foundation also published a report in The Melanoma Letter that said African-Americans who develop melanoma have a worse prognosis than Caucasians. The report, authored by Susan C. Taylor, MD of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Columbia University, and Zakia Rahman, MD, said that it is a common misconception that blacks are not threatened by melanoma and are not targeted by melanoma educational programs. This has led to insufficient screening of African-Americans and sometimes late detection or misdiagnosis, Dr. Talyor said. African-Americans tend to develop melanomas on the palms, fingers, soles, toes and around the nails. The tumor appears as a flat patch of darkened color, a slightly rounded mass or an elevated, cone-shaped growth. The black population is also more likely to have advanced disease once detected since the most common type of melanoma in blacks is the aggressive acral lentiginous melanoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests African-Americans examine their skin every three months, seek an annual professional skin examination and make sure doctors remain alert to the possibility of melanoma.

Other Skin Cancer Foundation reports indicate many people do not have complete sunscreen protection because they apply too little, reapply too infrequently, fail to apply after swimming and rely excessively on sunscreen to prevent UV damage. However, if used correctly, sunscreen plays an essential role in skin cancer prevention, the foundation said. An alternative option, self-tanning products, have become widely popular, the foundation noted.

Children born with a certain type of large mole may be at high risk for melanoma, according to a report published in The Melanoma Letter. One in 20,000 newborns have at least one congenital melanocytic nevi (LCNM) which can grow to nearly eight inches by adulthood. The estimated lifetime melanoma risk of patients with LCMN is 4.5-10% and most develop melanoma before puberty, according to research gathered by Flavia Vasques Bittencourt, MD, and Bernardo Gontijo, MD, PhD, of the dermatology department at the Federal University of Mina Gerais in Brazil. Less than 1% of all melanomas in the U.S. occur before puberty. And even rarer congenital melanocytic nevus, garment nevus (also called cape or bathing-trunk nevus), have a higher incidence of melanoma. Surgical removal or close clinical follow-ups with baseline photography can prevent melanoma of these moles, experts said.