Skin Cancers
Course #50773 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
The key to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with skin cancers is prevention and early detection. Healthcare professionals involved in the care of adults and children are in a unique position to routinely evaluate patients for skin cancer as well as to educate their patients about self-examination and preventive measures. This course provides an overview of the various types of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers, including a description of the populations at high risk for these cancers and the criteria for distinguishing between benign and malignant melanomas. The course also includes details on diagnostic techniques, treatment options, prognosis, and follow-up care. The importance of patient education pertaining to proper preventive measures and the current recommendations concerning screening are also highlighted.
This course is designed for dental professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge about the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers and melanoma.
The purpose of this course is to enhance knowledge about the clinical presentation of skin cancers in order to help dental professionals detect skin cancer and make appropriate referrals early, when treatment is most successful.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the etiology and epidemiology of skin cancers.
- Discuss the role of UV radiation in the development of nonmelanomas and melanomas.
- Describe the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.
- Describe the clinical features, treatment, and appropriate follow-up care of melanoma.
- Outline skin cancer screening guidelines.
- Discuss effective preventive measures for skin cancers, including resources to educate patients about skin cancers and prevention.
Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, is President of Editorial Rx, Inc., which provides medical writing and editing services on a wide variety of clinical topics and in a range of media. A medical writer and editor for more than 30 years, Ms. Alexander has written for both professional and lay audiences, with a focus on continuing education materials, medical meeting coverage, and educational resources for patients. She is the Editor Emeritus of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Journal, the peer-review journal representing the largest association of medical communicators in the United States. Ms. Alexander earned a Master’s degree in technical and professional writing, with a concentration in medical writing, at Northeastern University, Boston. She has also earned certification as a life sciences editor and as a medical writer.
Contributing faculty, Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.