I remember the first melanoma I ever saw
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, FAAD, September 1, 2021
I was a second-year dermatology resident, having somehow made it through my entire first year without ever seeing one. It was such a unique and rather awe-inspiring experience that I recall rushing to tell my co-residents about it. I wish that was still the case these days, since it feels like we diagnose a new melanoma every few days. As a practicing dermatologist, it’s easy to believe the statistics that have demonstrated a dramatic increase in melanoma rates over the past several decades. I use these numbers every day to impress upon my patients the importance of sun protection and regular skin exams. However, the melanoma story may be more complicated than the numbers at first suggest, and some of our most widely held beliefs have been recently challenged. We discuss the controversy and explore both sides of the argument in this month’s DermWorld. I’m sure I am not alone in admitting that my initial response was to dismiss the challengers; however, I suspect this was the response many of our colleagues had several decades ago as they held fast in their belief that stomach acid, and surely not bacteria, caused peptic ulcers. As scientists, we have the responsibility to never take our knowledge for granted and to be willing to subject even our most beloved tenets to scrutiny. But no one said it would be easy.
This month, we also take a look at an organization that, whether we like it or not, has a significant impact on our lives and the work we do: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This regulatory body, whose mission is to protect the health of Americans by ensuring the safety and efficacy of our medications, medical devices, food, and cosmetics, impacts the work we do every day, from controlling which medications we can prescribe, to how these drugs can be used, manufactured, and even where they can be purchased. At times, their efforts can seem at odds with ours, but at the end of the day, we all have our patients’ best interest at heart. Read about recent FDA activities that are relevant to our specialty; I think you will be pleased to hear about ways that the AAD/A staff and our members are engaged with the FDA and some recent advocacy successes that hopefully will make your lives a bit easier!
Hair remains a hot topic for those of us both with and without it! Our knowledge of the causes and potential treatment options for certain types of hair loss, particularly alopecia areata, pattern alopecia, and some of the scarring alopecias has definitely increased since the “dark ages” when I trained. In this edition, we chat with some of our specialty’s experts to get their perspective on what’s new and what works. I think you will enjoy reading their insights. It gives me hope that someday we will be even more successful in managing these conditions which are distressing to so many of our patients.
So, if you are reading this, I assume you survived this (pick your own adjective) summer and, if you have kids, that they have been able to return to school. While I think we all remain hopeful that “normalcy” is just around the corner, Mother Nature has yet again managed to assert herself as a very “strong” woman. Between the resurgence of the virus and the many weather extremes, it would seem it is time for us to listen closely and be thoughtful in our actions. Be well.
