News

Keeping an edge in the workplace can require learning new technology, receiving software training or taking classes to remain a valuable asset.

Botox may be used to as an antidepressent due to research suggesting facial expression can lift mood.

With all of the anti-aging, anti-wrinkle products and procedures on the market, it's hard to know where to best invest your time and money.

Douglas N. Naversen, M.D., taught his daughter Laurel Naversen Geraghty that, more than a scientific endeavor, medicine was a human experience, rich with relationships.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American family earns less than $49,000. That translates to an income tax liability of less than 12 percent. Ninety-eight percent of American families will never be worth more than $2,000,000 and owe an estate tax. Lastly, the average American is an employee, not an employer.

One of the most challenging financial decisions you need to make these days is where to put your money. Whether your investment portfolio is large or small, you must choose from among mutual funds, individual stocks or bonds, or simply stashing away your cash in bank accounts, money market accounts or other cash equivalents.

Organ transplant patients are at risk for developing skin cancer from immunosuppressive medications given to prevent organ rejection. Better education is needed for both patients and organ transplant teams to encourage compliance with sun-protective measures.

Organ transplant patients must be particularly carefully examined and followed by their dermatologists, as this patient population is at an increased risk for developing multiple actinic keratoses in a short period of time. A recent study demonstrates that conservative treatment of these lesions with topical imiquimod is safe and effective.

As immunocompromised patients, and those with genodermatoses, have a significantly increased risk of developing skin cancer, physicians should carefully weigh their choices of therapy from the start, to avoid precluding future therapies when these patients may need them most.

A thorough dermoscopic evaluation of each and every skin tumor in patients can prove invaluable in accurately diagnosing dangerous skin tumors such as melanoma incognito. One expert applies seven "golden rules" to help better manage patients with skin tumors, and to home in on which lesions should be biopsied and which should not.

Histopathologists have coined the term "Spitzoid tumor" for ambiguous diagnoses of spitzoid lesions. According to one expert, such patients are now more carefully treated and followed, as such a shaky diagnosis forces dermatologists to take serious precautions in treatment.

A large observational study shows a risk of melanoma and nonmelanotic skin cancer associated with biologic use for rheumatoid arthritis; however, this risk is slight, the study's lead author says.

According to the results of a recent study, the incomplete excision of basal cell carcinoma can be directly related to the location of the tumor as well as the aggressiveness of the tumor defined by its histologic type.

A retrospective study examined the rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer in patients with vitiligo. The data suggest careful surveillance for skin cancer may be prudent in white vitiligo patients.

For patients with stage II melanoma, the adjuvant ganglioside GM2-KLH21 vaccine proved ineffective and possibly even harmful, according to a large, multicenter European study.

The reality is that Mohs surgery can and, at times, does fail. According to one expert, how the surgeon reacts to this challenge in terms of therapy is crucial to the patient's successful outcome.

Incidence reporting data show that melanoma is on the rise, particularly in young women. However, the numbers were calculated using a new method, and the decline may have been an artifact of the new methodology, an expert says.

Treating actinic keratoses early is a must, as these can further develop into squamous cell carcinoma in situ and, in some cases, further complicate in field cancerization patients. Treating these lesions may help to reduce the surge in skin cancers, an expert says.

In a recent study, investigators found that regression alone is an insufficient criterion to validate the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with thin melanomas.

Because superficial radiotherapy provides safe, effective treatment for many nonmelanoma skin cancers, dermatologists must keep practicing and teaching this discipline rather than ceding it to radiation oncologists, an expert says.

A new sonic brush has demonstrated its safety for use by patients with conditions including rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis, according to several studies. The sonic brush also is safe and effective for removing makeup, and having sonically cleansed skin increases absorption of topical preparations, one of its developers says.

With no randomized, objective studies comparing performance of fractional ablative resurfacing lasers, an expert recommends trying them for oneself before buying.

Incorporating cosmetic dermatology into a medical dermatology practice is made easier if clinicians offer the cosmetic procedures to their existing patients. Internal marketing and a pleasant support staff ensure the success of expansion to cosmetic dermatology.

The full-body skin exam provides an opportunity for dermatologists to broach cosmetic topics of interest to aging baby boomers, an expert says.

As a rule, in order to maintain cosmetic effects from various noninvasive rejuvenation devices currently available on the market, treatments must be repeated. How often these treatments must be repeated is the central issue, and leading noninvasive devices continue to vie for the top spot.

Several novel technologies are emerging for minimally invasive facelifting. According to one expert, the Aptos and now Cousin (elastic ligament knitting) threads lead the way in thread-lifting with a bidirectional cog system, ensuring longer-lasting cosmetic results.

Scar therapy has advanced alongside the development of laser technology. Now, several options exist for various types of scars. Determining the proper treatment for each scar depends on the type of scar being treated.

The advent of fractional resurfacing technologies has raised many controversial questions, an expert says. However, he says what's beyond dispute is that even the most effective resurfacing device works best in the context of combination treatments.

Steps such as taking a biopsy and obtaining a detailed history will assist in making a diagnosis in challenging and unusual cases. In some instances, such as a case of a patient with strongyloidiasis, it may be necessary to perform multiple biopsies to arrive at a diagnosis.

Considering genetics, as well as clinical presentation, will aid in managing challenging cases of skin cancer. It is also incumbent upon clinicians to conduct a comprehensive review of the medical literature to assess the risks associated with metastases of some lesions, such as proliferating trichelemal tumors, according to an expert who treats mainly skin cancer cases.