Valentine's Day: Spread the Love, Check Your Loved Ones!
The MetaOptima Team | Feb 14, 2017 | MoleScope Moles SkinCheck
“Over a four-year period, the three educated groups found 43 new melanomas, while the fourth group found none.”
Valentine’s Day isn’t all about roses and chocolates. It’s also about loving yourself, your skin, and those you care about! A study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that those who receive skin-check training with a partner have far higher chances of spotting early-stage melanomas compared to those with only standard skin-checking knowledge.
- Reduce stress
Searching for suspicious lesions can be stressful work. Having a partner (whether it’s a significant other, family member, or good friend) is a good way to receive emotional support. - Make examinations easier
Examining the back of your head might be a little bit of a challenge without some help. A partner is useful for helping you check those spots that are hard to see on your own. They’re also useful for getting a second opinion on that spot that you aren’t quite sure what to think about. (When in doubt, consult with your physician!) - Ensure commitment
If you’ve ever been guilty of procrastinating, then you know that you’re more likely to do something if you have someone there to support you. Monthly reminders can be hard to remember, but there is a better chance that you will follow through with the skin checks now that there are two of you. - Increase chances of catching early-stage melanomas
Doctors encourage those who are at risk of developing skin cancer to perform personal skin examinations at home in addition to visiting a specialist. The trial performed by CSI found that having a partner help you with your scans increased your chance of finding melanoma in its early stages!
The trial had 494 people with a history of melanoma plus their partners (family member, friend, or significant other). The couples were split into four groups. Three of the groups received extensive training on how to identify dangerous moles, and what the partner can do to help. The first group was educated through an in-person discussion with a physician, the second with a tablet, and third with a printed workbook. The fourth group was given general information about the risk of returning melanoma, and were directed to online educational websites without any detail about specific scanning techniques.
After four months, patients and their partners who received a higher level of training performed an average of 1.57 more skin checks! Over a four-year period, the three educated groups found 43 new melanomas, while the fourth group found none.
That is a huge difference! Since 2012, that group has prevented 43 new cases of melanoma from spreading. This is important for the future of screening- it reduces extra trips made to your physician (although regular examinations are still very important), lowers medical costs, educates people on the importance of skin checks, and lowers stress because you are now in control of your exams.
If you want to take your skin checks to the next level, MoleScope’s app lets you take pictures of your lesions and track them over time. It also walks you through the process of scanning your moles using Educational Image Analysis (ABCDE of melanoma). For example, your MoleScope device captures the same high-quality level of photos that you would receive from your physician, which allows your skin specialist to analyze and identify any suspicious moles. Not only does your MoleScope do more than your normal phone lens could ever do, it also offers you peace of mind. One MoleScope can lead to the reassurance of an entire family.
This Valentine’s day, spend time with your loved ones, and make sure that cancer doesn’t get in the way of it. Spread the love, check your loved ones.
The MetaOptima Team
https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2016/partner-skin-exams-melanoma
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27367303