Foot melanoma is the deadliest cancer, but routine foot self-exams can increase early detection, survival.
#NaplesFL #EsteroFL #CapeCoralFL — The next time you clip your toenails, take a closer look at the rest of your feet. An extra 60 seconds could save your life.
Dr. Kevin Lam, DPM, FACFAS, DABLES, DABPS), is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS). The Naples, FL foot and ankle surgeon says routine self-examinations of the feet are an important way to find skin cancer early, when it’s easiest to cure. Half of the people who learn they have melanoma of the foot die within five years because the cancer had already spread throughout their body by the time it was diagnosed.
A melanoma on the sole of patient’s foot.
Nearly 60,000 people will learn they have melanoma this year. It’s not known how many of those cases will involve the foot, but more than 8,100 melanoma patients will die… nearly one death every hour. If melanoma is detected in its earliest stages, 92 percent of patients are alive after five years.
Unlike many other types of cancer, melanoma strikes people of all age groups, even the young. Whites are 10 times more likely to develop melanoma than blacks. But studies suggest more than half of melanoma cases in blacks involve the foot, where late diagnosis leads to a higher death rate. Routine foot self-exams increase the likelihood of noticing suspicious moles, freckles or other spots.
Dr. Lam recommends focusing on the three most common areas for foot melanoma:
- the soles
- between the toes
- around or under the toenails
He notes melanoma can develop anywhere on the body including areas that receive little sun exposure, such as the feet and ankles. If a mole, freckle or spot starts to change over the course of a month and becomes asymmetrical or changes its border, color, diameter or elevation, contact Dr. Lam’s office at (239) 430-3668 immediately. Family Foot and Leg Center has 7 locations to serve you. Those are the ABCDEs, or signs, of melanoma.
For more information on malignant melanoma of the foot, visit the ACFAS patient Web site FootHealthFacts.org
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Serving Southwest Florida Since 2005, Family Foot & Leg Center has 9 convenient locations throughout Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties. Offering pediatric to geriatric family care: Ingrown Toenails, Heel Pain, Bunions, Foot / Ankle Arthritis Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Foot / Ankle Surgery, Custom Orthotics, and Diabetic Wound Care. In office X-rays, ultrasounds, and minor surgical suite exam rooms. Practice powered by EMR and advanced technologies. Home of the Lam Minimal Invasive No-Scar Bunion Surgery! Come Discover Why Patients Love Our 5-Star Foot & Ankle Care! Same Day Appointments! Easy Online Appointment Scheduling!
