{"id":26038,"date":"2024-02-14T09:05:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T14:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/?p=25894"},"modified":"2024-02-14T09:05:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T14:05:47","slug":"alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Alarming’ Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic<\/em>. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic<\/em>. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists’ tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits.<\/p>\n

Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes.<\/p>\n

The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection.<\/p>\n

Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall).<\/a><\/p>\n

SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n'Alarming' Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research - Smart Tan News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists' tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes. The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection. Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Alarming' Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research - Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists' tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes. The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection. Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-14T14:05:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan-Logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"520\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"smarttannews\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819\"},\"headline\":\"‘Alarming’ Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-14T14:05:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\"},\"wordCount\":413,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/\",\"name\":\"'Alarming' Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research - Smart Tan News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-14T14:05:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. 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Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. 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The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists' tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes. The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection. Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/alarming-rates-of-melanoma-overdiagnosis-new-research\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'Alarming' Rates of Melanoma Overdiagnosis: New Research - Smart Tan News","og_description":"A new study adds to mounting evidence that melanoma is being massively overdiagnosed, as detailed by an article from National Geographic. The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists' tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes. The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection. Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. 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The study found that 65 percent of melanoma cases in white men and 50 percent in white women are in fact unnecessarily diagnosed. \u201cI don\u2019t think enough people understand the potential scope of how much melanoma is overdiagnosed. It\u2019s quite alarming,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author Adewole Adamson, a dermatologist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told National Geographic. \u201cYou\u2019re catching tumors that never would have caused harm.\u201d \u201cPatients talk about their fear of dying, fear of the sun, fear of the cancer coming back. Some make drastic decisions about whether they are going to get married or have kids,\u201d Adamson says. \u201cWe are harming a significant number of people.\u201d Despite a significant increase in melanoma diagnoses, overall death rates from the disease have remained flat, indicating a potential problem of overdiagnosis rather than an actual epidemic. Research suggests that a majority of people are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, scarring, and psychological distress for patients. Factors contributing to overdiagnosis include changes in dermatology conventions regarding the size of moles biopsied and pathologists' tendencies to err on the side of caution to avoid malpractice lawsuits. Despite the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of regular skin cancer screenings for everyone, some organizations still advocate for annual skin checks. However, experts caution against routine screenings for asymptomatic individuals and emphasize the importance of self-examination and seeking medical evaluation for any suspicious skin changes. The article concludes with a call for honesty from dermatologists about the uncertainties surrounding full-body skin checks and the need for further research to determine the actual benefits of early melanoma detection. Click here to access the article from National Geographic (behind pay wall). SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2024 International Smart Tan Network. 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