Regular Doctor Visits Reduces Risk of Dying from Skin Cancer

Researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital claim that regular doctor visits reduce the risk of dying from skin cancer.

This is one of the first studies to link melanoma mortality with the regular use of health care.  The study found that there was a 70 percent drop in the mortality rate in those patients who had made at least a single visit to their family doctor or a specialist in five years before their diagnosis. 

After taking into consideration age, gender, socio economic status and co-morbidities they observed that the mortality risk dropped by 90 percent in those who visited a specialist.

There was a considerable reduction in the rate of mortality among those who underwent preventive screenings that includes a fasting blood test or colonscopy.

"This study is important because it's not about having health insurance or having access to care. It's about tapping into that care," says Melody Eide, M.D., MPH, a Henry Ford Hospital dermatologist and the study's lead author. "We know that people are always going to have struggles in their lives. They're going to have unreliable transportation, children that they're caring for, copays that are too expensive to pay. What this study suggests is that these types of barriers may impact your prognosis for cancer if they impede your ability to make your medical care a priority."

From 2002-2011 there has been a 1.5 percent decline in cancer deaths annually.  In early to mid 1990s the rate of melanoma deaths increased by 5 percent and since then has been stagnant.

But among older melanoma patients, especially men and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, there are poor outcomes. In this study, the researchers also examined whether the disparities considered along with insurance and access to care are predictors of melanoma mortality.

 In the retrospective study, the researchers examined melanoma in 251 Caucasians from 2001-2007 out of which 158 were men.  All of them had health insurance and were also eligible to receive care in health maintenance organization during the study period. The average age of the study participants was 60 and it was at this age that the patients were typically diagnosed with melanoma.

The researchers were surprised to see that paying a visit to a specialist before melanoma diagnosis lowered the risk of mortality by 90 percent.

"This suggests that these patients who do better may be more engaged in their care or have less outside demands distracting from their care," Dr. Eide says. "It's not just about having insurance and having a doctor you see, it may be about being invested and an advocate for your own health. We found that regardless of their cancer stage at diagnosis, these patients who saw more specialists and had compliance with their fasting lipid panels and other screenings had a better prognosis. This may suggest a role for the patient in improving their health by being engaged and prioritizing their care."

The finding was presented at the Society of Investigative Dermatology's annual meeting in New Mexico.