No wound but cancer! Often wrong diagnoses in black skin cancer

Black skin cancer often detected too late
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in Germany. Up to 200,000 people fall ill each year, with over 20,000 diagnoses of dangerous "black" skin cancer. However, this cancer is often recognized too late.

Black skin cancer on feet is often recognized too late
As reported by the "Informationsdienst Wissenschaft" (idw), Dr. Ing. Wiebke Sondermann from the Department of Dermatology of the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) at the University Hospital Essen (UK Essen) found that black skin cancer (malignant melanoma) on the feet is often recognized too late. The employee of the working group of Prof. Dr. Ing. Joachim Dissemond collected data from more than one hundred people who had been treated at the Essen Clinic between 2002 and 2013.

Black skin cancer (Photo: ArTo / fotolia)

Skin cancer is usually "considered a wound"
It was one of the world's largest patient groups with this disease. Her research was recently honored as the best scientific work with the German Wound Award 2015. Wiebke Sondermann explained: "30 percent of the patients initially received a misdiagnosis. Mostly the black skin cancer on the feet was considered a wound. The others were u.a. diagnosed with diabetic foot syndrome or even hematomas and warts. A delayed diagnosis with a later start of treatment usually also means a worse prognosis for the patient. "

Skin cancer screening in the criticism
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in Germany. According to the German Cancer Society, up to 200,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. The German Cancer Aid assumes a higher number of 234,000 new cases. More than 20,000 diagnoses involve dangerous "black" skin cancer. Although the chances of a cure for early cancer diagnosis are good, skin cancer screening has long been a criticism, partly because the mortality rate for skin cancer has not changed despite the screenings. Dermatologists recently expressed their annoyance over doubts about cancer screening, stating that coverage in this area is one-sided and spares important information. (Ad)