Hear candid conversations between people conquering cancer — patients, their family and friends, and doctors and researchers working to help us all.
Although some skin cancer risk factors are beyond our control, there are steps we can take to reduce our risk, such as applying sunscreen and limiting sun exposure. We know this. But, in addition to the tried-and-true methods we all know, there are other things we can do to help conquer skin cancer. Physician-scientists around the world are working diligently to advance treatment and care for patients with this disease, and—while great strides have been made—there is significant room for improvement in this area of research.
To break down the basics of all things skin cancer research and care, Dr. Lynn Schuchter—director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at Penn Medicine and a former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology—joins the Your Stories podcast. Together with host and cancer survivor Brenda Brody, she talks about the benefits of proactive skin cancer prevention; the different types of skin cancers, including melanoma; and the progress that still needs to be made in skin cancer research and treatment.
One day, you’re looking in the mirror when suddenly you notice it: a strange-looking mole. Naturally, you start to wonder: Could it be cancer? How can I tell? What do I do if it is? Thankfully, after decades of advancements in skin cancer research and care, these kinds of questions have answers. And yet, despite these milestones, there are many research breakthroughs that have yet to be made when it comes to skin cancer treatment and care—especially for melanoma, a particularly malignant form of the disease.
Having specialized in skin cancer and melanoma research for several decades, Dr. Lynn Schuchter is deeply familiar with the progress that has been made for patients with these diseases—as well as the progress we still need. As director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at Penn Medicine and a former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Schuchter joins Your Stories host Brenda Brody to discuss the proactive steps we can take to help prevent skin cancers, the numerous advancements being made in patient-centered melanoma care, and what the next few decades look like for skin cancer research and treatment.
