Skin cancer, which includes basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Although there is some evidence that skin cancer screening by a healthcare professional is moderately accurate in detecting melanoma, the most lethal of the skin cancers, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued a recommendation statement concluding that the current medical evidence is not sufficient to assess the risk-benefit of using a whole-body skin examination by a primary care clinician for the early detection of skin cancer in the general adult population.

In the February 2009 recommendation statement, the USPSTF also stated that there was insufficient evidence to determine how accurately patient self-examination was in the detecting skin cancer or whether early detection leads to reduced mortality. However, the USPSTF advises healthcare providers to remain alert for skin lesions with suspicious features, such as asymmetry, border irregularity, color variability, size larger than 6 mm, or rapid changes.

The USPSTF also reminds clinicians that fair-skinned adults over the age of 65, patients with atypical or numerous moles, and patients with a history of sun exposure or sunburns are at a higher risk for melanoma. Still, the benefits of screening are uncertain, even in these high-risk patients.

Source

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, USPSTF Recommendation Statement, February 2009.