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Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. It continues to have
the fastest increasing incidence of any cancer in the United States.
Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women aged 18 to 35
and is expected to strike 1 in 45 Americans. There is not a good
treatment for melanoma, but if cutaneous melanoma is detected early and
removed it is possible to prevent spread of the disease. Early detection
involves the recognition of the ABCD warning signs for moles. In
addition, it is important to recognize any changes in existing moles or
the occurrence of new moles. The ability to detect new or changing moles
has benefited from the use of whole body photography. However, this
procedure is rarely re-imbursed by insurers and it is an underutilized
method. Our melanoma project is providing the newly developed DermAlert®
imaging technology on a sliding scale (from $0 - $149) for qualifying
individuals at risk for melanoma.
In addition, MED Foundation will help in the establishment of a new
Pigmented Skin Lesion Clinic at the University of Arizona Medical Center
by providing new digital imaging technologies for whole body
surveillance to patients at high risk for melanoma.
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