Diagnosis and Routing of Patients with Suspected Skin Cancer in Primary Care Settings: Gaps and Perspectives

Abstract

Early accurate detection of skin cancer is a growing global problem of health’s services throughout the world. Malignant skin formation can be suspected by using an anamnesis, visual inspection of the skin, and diffrent types of investigations in primary care settings. The dermatoscopic examination is necessary for exclusion or confirmation skin cancer, which is performed by a dermatovenerologist. The patient is referred futher to an oncologist in case the cancer cannot be excluded. Well-organized identification of patients with suspected skin cancer is accociated with favorable prognosis. However, in order to reduce the rates of high neglect for malignant skin tumors and optimize the routing of patients after visiting a primary care phisician, it is worth to pay attention to the following points: annual medical check-up examinations, especially among people of age is over than 40 years; a complete physical examination, including thorough history and full body skin examination by general practition as part of a clinical examination in a primary care settings; the use of mandatory dermoscopic examination by a dermatovenerologist for early diagnosis of skin cancer, and, if possible, dynamic skin mapping with artificial intelligence analysis; increasing the professional and communicative skills, especially needed in managing newly diagnosed skin cancer, since psychosocial factors influence the patient’s attitude towards his/her own health; maintaining continuity between general practitioners and dermatovenerologists to improve the quality of medical care; creation of “Healthy Skin” schools in clinics to increase the medical literacy of the population concerning the education regarding the danger of skin cancer, training in skin self-examination skills; using e-health technologies as an additional source of information.

Keywords

• cancer
• melanoma
• diagnosis
• primary care settings
• prevention
• dermatoscopy
• dermatoscopic examination
• malignant neoplasms of the skin
• patient routing