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  Vol. 143 No. 6, June 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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COMMENTS AND OPINIONS
A Confusing Message Will Not Improve the Detection of Melanoma

Jean-Claude Bystryn, MD

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The intent of Liu and her associates1 to define the time available to detect melanoma to improve the treatment of this cancer is admirable. Unfortunately, their recommendations do not advance that aim. They recommend that special attention be given to promote awareness that rapidly growing melanomas are symmetrical, have regular borders, and lack pigment. This message is directly opposite to the one our profession has been teaching the public for the past 2 decades (the ABCD rule—A, asymmetry; B, border irregularity; C, color variegation; D, diameter >5 mm): that the warning signs of melanoma lesions are pigmentation, asymmetrical shape, and irregular borders. Promoting public awareness that lesions of concern can be pigmented or not, symmetric or asymmetric, and have regular or irregular borders sends a confusing message that is difficult to follow.

The signs highlighted by Liu et al1 do draw attention to the small subset of . . . [Full Text of this Article]


AUTHOR INFORMATION

RELATED LETTER

A Confusing Message Will Not Improve the Detection of Melanoma—Reply
John W. Kelly, Grant A. McArthur, Rory Wolfe, John F. Thompson, and Wendy Liu
Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(6):806-807.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

RELATED ARTICLES

Rate of Growth in Melanomas: Characteristics and Associations of Rapidly Growing Melanomas
Wendy Liu, John P. Dowling, William K. Murray, Grant A. McArthur, John F. Thompson, Rory Wolfe, and John W. Kelly
Arch Dermatol. 2006;142(12):1551-1558.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Early Diagnosis of Cutaneous Melanoma: Revisiting the ABCD Criteria
Naheed R. Abbasi, Helen M. Shaw, Darrell S. Rigel, Robert J. Friedman, William H. McCarthy, Iman Osman, Alfred W. Kopf, and David Polsky
JAMA. 2004;292(22):2771-2776.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  






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