Dr. Edington on the Importance of Prevention Strategies in Melanoma

Howard D. Edington, MD, director, Cutaneous Oncology Program, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, Allegheny Health Network, discusses the importance of prevention strategies in melanoma.

Across the United States, awareness about melanoma must involve informing people about ways to prevent the disease and how to identify at-risk patients, Edington says. Preventing and identifying melanoma can be much more effective than treating the disease at an advanced stage, Edington adds.

When treating patients with advanced disease, options are more limited, compared with patients with early stage disease, Edington continues. The importance of early detection makes public education on these topics a necessity, Edington explains.

Despite the need for education and prevention, the treatment field has made enormous strides for patients with advanced melanoma, Edington concludes