title: Improving triage and management of patients with skin cancer: challenges and considerations for the future.
abstract: Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in humans, thus representing a major health concern. Because of the increasing attention to skin cancer prevention, there has been a growing workload for dermatology clinics, with patients referred from primary care requiring assessment of suspicious skin tumors. This places a strain on limited specialist resources and can create a paradoxical situation wherein an early diagnosis becomes increasingly difficult for those patients who actually do suffer from skin cancer. The aim of these recommendations is to propose an updated, rational system of triage, involving improved accuracy of diagnosis and more timely management of skin cancer by both general practitioners and dermatologists.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova IRCCS, Viale Risorgimento 80, Reggio Emilia, Italy. g.argenziano@gmail.com
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giacomel
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abramavicus
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pellacani
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Pace
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albertini
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cristofolini
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zalaudek
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003880:Dermatology / Q000379:methods; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D014218:Triage