Education and Awareness
NEW EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND WEBPAGES FOR MELANOMA PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION
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PATIENTS & CAREGIVERS MELANOMA EDUCATION RESEARCH & SCIENCE ADVOCATE HOW TO HELP ABOUT US
SELF SCREENING GUIDE
YOU are the most likely person to spot your melanoma. Melanoma can occur on any area of the skin, but for men, the chest or back is the most likely area; for women, it is often the legs.
Examining your skin once a month is easier than ever: just ask your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to “open skin check” for step-by-step instructions. Prefer to do yours ‘old school’? Use this guide to ensure you check your entire body. Consider creating a monthly Melanoma Monday reminder on your phone or kitchen calendar. To perform your skin check, you’ll need to be in front of a large mirror and have a handheld mirror so you can see hard-to-see places. You will also need a comb.
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MELANOMA EDUCATION RESEARCH & SCIENCE ADVOCATE HOW TO HELP ABOUT US
Creation of new Melanoma Prevention webpages with updated curriculum and content for Youth, Teens and Young Adult, and Adult Prevention.
Prevention Melanoma Prevention
Nearly 90% of cutaneous melanomas are related to excess ultraviolet (UV) exposure. 1 This is a major risk factor that you can prevent over the course of your lifetime. Can Melanoma Be Prevented?
However, some risk factors for cutaneous melanoma cannot be prevented:
Additionally, some risk factors for ocular melanoma also cannot be prevented:
Moles
Choroidal nevi**
Lighter physical features
Ocular/oculodermal melanocytosis**
STEP 1 Look at your face, including your nose, lips, mouth and behind your ears.
STEP 2 Check your scalp, using a comb to part your hair. If you don’t have much hair, check your entire scalp very thoroughly.
STEP 3 Check the front and back of your hands, in between your fingers and your fingernails.
STEP 4 Bend your elbows to check your upper arms and armpits.
Family history of melanoma
Familial uveal melanoma**
Weakened immune system caused by:
Moles
Xeroderma pigmentosum*
Lighter physical features such as eye color and/or fair skin that sunburns or freckles easily
Personal or family history of cancer**
*Visit the American Cancer Society for additional details about the condition and its relationship with cutaneous melanoma. 2 **Visit the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Uveal Melanoma Guidelines for additional details about the condition and its relationship with ocular melanoma. 3
Melanoma prevention is best approached in two ways:
1
2
Primary prevention is de fi ned as reducing or limiting exposure to UV radiation to prevent melanoma from occurring.
Secondary prevention is de fi ned as detecting melanoma in its earliest stages through regular screenings. 4
Click on a box below to learn more about PREVENTION and EARLY DETECTION of cutaneous, ocular, and mucosal melanomas at every age!
STEP 6 Use a hand mirror to check the back of your neck and your entire back.
STEP 7 Continue using a hand mirror to check your buttock, genitals and the back of your legs. Finish by checking the soles of your feet, between your toes and your toenails.
FIND A MELANOMA MATE If it’s too difficult to check those hard-to-see places on your own, find a Melanoma Mate — your partner, a roommate or close friend — to help check those areas with you each month. Be sure to return the favor during their skin check.
STEP 5 Focus on your neck, chest and upper body; women, check between and underneath your breasts.
Youth Learn more about sun safety for babies, infants and school-age children!
Teens & Young Adult Teens and young adults can enjoy life and still practice sun safety habits!
Adult It’s never too late to learn about melanoma prevention!
Citations:
US Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer. Washington (DC): O ffi ce of the Surgeon General (US); 2014. Skin Cancer as a Major Public Health Problem. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ books/NBK247164/ American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html National Comprehensive Cancer Network: Uveal Melanoma Guidelines, https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/ uveal.pdf
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2. 3.
Suppa M, Daxhelet M, del Marmol V. Dépistage du mélanome [Melanoma secondary prevention]. Rev Med Brux. 2015;36(4):255-259. 4.
Content last updated June 2021.
The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is leading the melanoma community to transform melanoma from one of the deadliest cancers to one of the most treatable through research. education and advocacy.
The Melanoma Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
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CONTINUED EXPANSION OF ONLINE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT RESOURCES l Over 50 webinars now available in the MRF Education Institute covering topics related to all forms of melanoma. l COVID-19 Resource Center regularly
updated with information on COVID-19 and melanoma, treatment and telehealth, vaccine information for those with cancer, and more.
1996 Early educational materials referenced a brand new resource for melanoma patients and caregivers: “The Net.”
MRF education and support resources reach millions of people each year through events, webinars, online and print resources and even videos in Times Square, NYC.
2021
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