Assessing hairdressers' knowledge of scalp and neck melanoma and their willingness to detect lesions and make referrals to dermatologists

摘要

To the Editor: Scalpeck (S/N) melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer. Delayed detection and diagnosis contribute to the poor prognosis of S/N melanomas. Research demonstrates that approximately 50% of melanomas go undetected by self-inspection, and those undetected occur frequently on the head, neck, and scalp. To combat the lack of early S/N melanoma detection and referral in the general community, the current study aims to bring awareness of the potential role of hairdressers in early detection and referral of S/N melanoma. Hairdressers observe a great extent of the general public's head, scalp, and neck, and therefore have remarkable access for detecting S/N lesions. The current study is among the first4 to investigate hairdressers' melanoma screening behaviors and knowledge, and their willingness to make referrals to dermatologists. Cross-sectional data were obtained via self-administered questionnaires hand-delivered to certified hairdressers at 45 hair salons located in Pasadena, CA, from May to June 2011. Salons were selected based on proximity (3-mile radius) to the 91101 postal code, which represents a large urban community with relatively high sun exposure. The study was approved by the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board. Data analyses were conducted using software (SPSS 18, IBM Corp, Armonk, NY).