Prevalence of Total Body Skin Exams Increased from 2005-2015

Smith B, Smith JE, Demanelis K, Ferris LK. Changes in skin cancer screening rates in the United States from 2005 to 2015. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Feb 18:S0190-9622(23)00200-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.02.011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36804574.

Factors such as female sex, higher educational attainment, and higher income were found to be associated with significant increases in total body skin exams

Clinical Pearls

• The authors looked at rates of self-reported total body skin exams within the past 5 years from the NHIS in the years 2005, 2010, and 2015

• The prevalence of total body skin exams increased from 4.8% in 2005 to 6.1% in 2015. Non-Hispanic Whites were the only race or ethnicity with a significant increase in total body skin exams from 2005 to 2015

• Factors such as female sex, higher educational attainment, and higher income were found to be associated with significant increases in total body skin exams

Discussion:

Screening for skin cancer most often occurs due to patient request or physician suggestion as there is currently no recommended population-based screening from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The authors of this study noted this and sought to better understand the trends in skin cancer screening over a period of 10 years.

Using the National Health Interview Survey data, the authors looked at rates of self-reported total body skin exams within the past 5 years of participants 18 years or older and without a personal history of skin cancer or a first degree relative with a history of melanoma. Specifically, the authors analyzed data from the years 2005 (28,233 participants), 2010 (24,113 participants), and 2015 (29,902 participants).

The authors found that the prevalence of participants undergoing a total body skin exam increased from 4.8% in 2005 to 6.1% in 2015 (adjusted OR, 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.14, p<0.001). The only race or ethnicity with a significant increase in total body skin exams from 2005 to 2015 was Non-Hispanic Whites (adjusted OR, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.09-1.21, p<0.001). Female sex, higher educational attainment, and higher income were all also associated with significant increases in total body skin exams. Weaknesses of this study include a lack of data from the year 2020 (unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as self-reporting of skin exams by participants.