Surprise! Skin cancer can also be inherited

Dermatologists can screen for skin cancer through examinations. If we want to protect our skin in our daily lives, we must pay attention to sun protection, apply some appropriate sunscreen and wear some clothes that can block the sun.

People with a family history of multiple cutaneous melanomas have an increased risk

Studies have found that for every patient a doctor sees with skin melanoma, there are often clusters of similar cases, especially when the patient has a family history of skin melanoma.

"Patients like this should receive a detailed dermatologic examination and possibly genetic screening," Dr. Cristina Ferrone of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City told the Journal of the American Medical Association.

What is Skin Melanoma

Cutaneous melanoma is a type of skin cancer. Dr. Ferrone noted in his research report:

An estimated 62,000 cases of advanced melanoma occur in the United States each year.

Melanoma kills about 7,600 people in the U.S. each year.

Melanoma ranks fifth among cancer-related deaths in men

Melanoma ranks sixth among cancer-related deaths in women

Signs of Skin Cancer

Ferrone's team studied 4,400 patients who were first diagnosed with melanoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1996 and 2002. The average age of the patients when they learned of their disease was 55.

Of these patients, 9 percent, or 385 people, had multiple melanomas. These patients were more likely to have a family history of the disease or to have dysplastic moles. Dysplastic skin moles can develop into precancerous lesions. The researchers note that dysplastic skin moles occur in 5 to 10 percent of the general population.

Among patients with multiple melanomas, 21% had a family history of melanoma, compared with only 12% of patients with a single melanoma. And among patients with multiple melanomas, 39% had a history of dysplastic skin moles, compared with only 18% of patients with a single melanoma.

Family history of melanoma increases risk

About 11% of patients with single melanoma will develop a second melanoma within 5 years of onset. Especially for those patients with single melanoma and a family history of melanoma, the chance of developing a second melanoma is very high, about 20%.

Dermatologists can screen for skin cancer through examinations. In daily life, if we want to protect our skin, we must pay attention to sun protection, apply appropriate sunscreen and wear clothes that can block the sun. For those who are at high risk, genetic testing can help detect their abnormalities.