CANCER: Two Heads Really Are Better
When it comes to detecting signs of skin cancer, teamwork counts
BY:MYRA DEMBROW
When your doctor or nurse is teaching you how to examine yourself for suspicious moles, bring your "roomie" along. A study of melanoma survivors found that people who were trained with their spouse or domestic partner were more likely to perform the exams than those who were trained without a companion.The research team at Chicago's Northwestern University divided 130 survivors into two equal groups of 65. One group was trained with a partner; the other was not. After four months, 45 of the solo learners had failed to check their skin even once as compared to 23 of the couples. On the other hand, 13 pairs had done several exams but only four of the solo learners had been so conscientious.
Authors of the study published in the January 2007 issue of the Archives of Dermatology speculated that partners might enforce the importance of the exams. Partners also can check a patient's scalp, back, ears and other areas that are almost impossible for an individual to see.
"Attitude and belief in the ability to perform skin self-examination are fostered when the partners learn about melanoma recognition and skills training together," the researchers concluded.