You may not want to show a lot of skin at the beach, but one place you should show skin is in the privacy of your doctor’s office. The first year results of a study on Full Body Skin Examination (FBSE) have just been published and based on the results, you should have this exam every year during your physical.

The observational study was conducted by a large healthcare group in western Pennsylvania that had their physicians conduct FBSE during routine physicals with the patient’s permission. A total of 335,735 patients had physicals with their primary care physicians; 53,196 patients had FBSE, the rest did not. In the screened group, 50 melanomas were diagnosed; 109 were found in the unscreened group. Although the reports didn’t say how the melanomas were found in the unscreened group, I’m guessing it was obvious to the doctor or the patient asked about it.

The important points are this: there was a higher percentage of melanomas diagnosed in the screened group. The more significant point is that the depth of the tumors was much thinner. That translates to less complicated treatments and better survival rates.

This week’s memos were written to encourage you to get tests, some simple, some complicated, that will help you stay on top of your health. Without knowing your blood pressure or body fat, you wouldn’t know what your risk is. No one wants to be surprised with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or even something as serious as a stroke. Prevention is a whole lot better than treatment. Take an inventory of what you need to have checked and schedule your physical today. Form a working partnership with your doctor; that’s a key way to keep your health at its best.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

Reference: JAMA Oncol. 2017;3(8):1112-1115. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.6779