Dermatologists group asks women to help male partners with skin-cancer checks

Schaumburg, IL – Women often can be more observant then men, states the American Academy of Dermatology, which is urging women to help the men in their lives look for signs of skin cancer as well as perform self-exams.

Men 50 and older are at greater risk for developing melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – than the general public, according to an April 27 press release from AAD.

AAD surveyed 1,250 married women ages 40 to 64. Of those, 56 percent reported they do not assist their husbands in looking for signs of skin cancer. Two-thirds of the participants, however, said they examine their own skin at least once per year.

Other results:

• Forty-five percent of respondents believe they could detect a suspicious spot on their husband’s skin more often than he could, and 35 percent said they had.
• Sixty-three percent said their husbands do not look over their skin at least once a year, and 29 percent were unsure if their husbands did.

“Because men over 50 have an increased risk of melanoma, it’s important for them to conduct regular skin self-exams to detect the disease in its earliest stages, when it’s most treatable,” Dr. Henry W. Lim, AAD president, said in the release. “Since it can be difficult to examine some parts of your body on your own, it’s best to ask a partner for help.”

In an accompanying video, titled, Check Him Out, the academy states that “research has shown that women are nine times more likely than men to notice melanoma on others.”