title: The first skin cancer screening day at the Italian parliament: a Euromelanoma initiative.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effort to decrease incidence/mortality of skin cancer should target not only the general public but also politicians and decision makers, to create a proper health policy. We report the results of the first Skin Cancer Screening Day at the Italian Parliament, organized to draw politicians' attention on skin cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' characteristics and suspected skin cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We screened 70 members of parliament (61.4% males, median age 54 years). Overall skin cancer suspicion rate was 14.5%. Suspicion rate, detection rate, and positive predictive values for melanoma were respectively 1.6, 1.6, and 100%, and for basal cell carcinoma 6.5, 1.6, and 25%. Highly educated, <54-year-old females reported sun-seeking behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The considerable suspicion rate produced by this screening is justified by the particular demographics of the study population. Italian members of parliament display sun-seeking behaviors similar to those previously described in the general public. Increasing politicians' attention on skin cancer is vital for sufficient resources to be allocated to prevention strategies. Expert medical groups and politicians should cooperate to create a proper, integrated policy on skin cancer.
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy; Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Mariano
authors: M
authors: Suppa
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Neri
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Bianchi
authors: Rodolfo
authors: R
authors: Capizzi
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Carbone
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Catricalà
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Chimenti
authors: Maria Concetta
authors: MC
authors: Fargnoli
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Fossati
authors: Pasquale
authors: P
authors: Frascione
authors: Ketty
authors: K
authors: Peris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006076:Government; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D011057:Politics; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055108:Sunbathing; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents