In what cases and how often should people visit a dermatologist?
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We may want patients to see a dermatologist, like a dentist or gynecologist, once a year, but even if a person comes to the dermatologist at least once, it will be a lot, because experience shows that many people have never checked their birthmarks in their lifetime. .
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When coming for a preventive visit, the dermatologist will examine and interview the patient and tell them how often they should see in the future. Not all people need regular visits. However, those with multiple birthmarks, those with a family history of melanoma or other risk factors may also need to see a doctor several times a year. Regular visits to a dermatologist can help detect melanoma while it is still very thin and relatively easy to treat.
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You should definitely see a doctor if you notice a new formation that is slightly different from the others, or if any of the existing formations have changed, for example, become asymmetrical, changed color, increased in diameter.
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There are specialists who have ever been to one of the skin health lectures and pay attention to the skin of their clients, but there are few of them. Unfortunately, most do not respond in any way.
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Passivity is observed among masseurs, beauticians, hairdressers and other specialists. The situation is slightly better with podiatrists, but there has already been educational work with these specialists.
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I am pleased that the step “Step ahead of melanoma” is working to educate those who see the skin of their clients on a daily basis. In fact, there are many professions whose representatives may notice suspicious formations in the body of others, such as swimming and fitness coaches, but they need to be talked to and told what to look for and why it is so important.
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Or would GPs be more involved in the diagnosis of melanoma?
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There is so much burden on GPs, especially the administrative burden, that they sometimes do not have the physical time to undress patients and look at their skin. However, in cases where patients themselves complain of skin formations, GPs could speed up the diagnosis by performing a dermatoscopy themselves and sending the picture to a dermatologist. In Latvia, family doctors have additional funding if they detect a malignancy, and some family doctors use it, also actively involved in the diagnosis of melanoma.
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If we talk about preventive visits, then they have a big connection with the economic situation in the country. When the economic situation is good, people visit a doctor more often, and melanoma is also detected early. If the economic situation is bad, as it was in 2008-2009, people save money, including postponing preventive visits.
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On the other hand, if we talk about cases when a person has already noticed a suspicious formation, the reasons for postponing the visit are rather psychological. Some people do not want to know anything about their diagnosis and hope that by pushing this information out of their lives, the possible problems will disappear. However, patients should understand that procrastination can only make matters worse.
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