Contents

#### **Preface XI**


Chapter 9 **Skin Cancer Screening 249** Carolyn J. Heckman, Susan Darlow, Teja Munshi and Clifford Perlis

Preface

Since the middle of the 20th century, the incidence of skin cancers such as malignant mela‐ noma is increasing most in the Caucasian population, doubling every 10 years to reach the current rate of 10-15 new cases per year per 100,000 inhabitants. Epidemiological models suggest that prediction is that now a person out of 75 is likely to develop a melanoma in his

Along with the increased incidence, increased mortality secondary to melanoma was ob‐ served in the second half of the twentieth century, followed by a stabilization probably related to efforts in primary and secondary prevention. Therapeutic advances in this area have been quite limited until recently , despite the enthusiasm generated by clinical trials of immuno‐ therapy, and encourage further efforts to organize prevention and screening compaigns.

Prevention and detection of skin cancer and melanoma in particular are important public health goals in order to decrease the impact of these frequent tumours in young patients. These objectives require particularly strong solidarity between GPs and dermatologists, both

Despite the fact that new recent progress in skincancer treatment have been described, and that new targeted molecules or new therapeutic procedures help our patients, new insights regarding skin biology are also needed to develop new strategies. Moreover interactions be‐ tween dermatologists and oncologists are mandatory: many targeted therapies developed to treat systemic malignancies have shown important efficacy for the treatment of both cutane‐ ous malignancies and non-malignant skin disease, such as Hedgehog inhibition for basal

This Highlights in Skincancer written by leading experts in their field synthesize common skincancer topics in clinics and research. It is not a guide intended to be a comprehensive and exhaustive review of all the aspects of dermato-oncology but really a companion that should help the clinicians and researchers to find important and specialized information in this field. It is also an awareness of the close collaboration that must exist between dermatol‐

Cliderm, European Institute for Dermatology Practice and Research,

**Pierre Vereecken, MD, PhD**

Chirec Cancer Institute, Brussels, Belgium

in firstline for the evaluation of the skin of patients and to detect their risk factors.

lifetime. Cutaneous carcinomas are also more frequent.

cell carcinoma and Rituximab for Pemphigus Vulgaris.

ogists and medical oncologists in the management of our patients.

#### Chapter 10 **The Role of Furin in the Development of Skin Cancer 271** Rethika Ravi and Terrence J Piva
