Case Study: 25 y/o white female with melanoma
Case Study: 25 y/o white female with melanoma
Sally Smith, a 22yowf, presented to the clinic with a mole on her left shoulder that she says has gotten larger and gotten darker in color in the last 6 months when she first noticed the mole. She is a college student and says that the last 3 summers she has worked at a bar near the beach, but she goes to the beach every chance she gets. She says she uses suntan lotion that is 30SPF. While she is at school, she uses a tanning bed at least twice a week without protective lotion because “there’s no risk of cancer using the tanning bed”. There are no other lesions. Cite at least 3 sources in your answers and include on a reference list.
- Describe the skin lesion typical of melanoma (be sure to discuss ABCDE).
- What other types of skin cancer are common with exposure to sun? Describe each in terms of lesion appearance and diagnosis.
- How would you respond to her statement “there’s no risk of cancer using the tanning bed”?
- Where does melanoma most often metastasize?
- What changes occur at the cellular level that lead to the development of melanoma?
- What are the current recommendations for treatment of melanoma? What is the prognosis for the different stages of malignant melanoma?
- What recommendations for follow up of an individual diagnosed with melanoma should be provided? ( be sure you address specific time intervals for follow up and what should be done at each visit)
