Summary: | BACKGROUND: Melanoma is the leading cause of skin cancer mortality. Visual skin examination for skin cancer screening could impact disease incidence and mortality in U.S. adults and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: On a population level, with limited evidence on skin cancer screening, a clear statement cannot be made about the benefit of skin cancer screening for melanoma mortality and all-cause mortality or association with thinner lesions. With few studies to confirm these results, the applicability for widespread skin cancer screening could be limited. Later stage at diagnosis of melanoma is associated with strong effect on melanoma mortality within 5 years of diagnosis. Future research on skin cancer screening should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of targeted screening in persons considered to be at higher risk for skin cancer
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