A New Message from the USPSTF

Behavioral counseling to prevent skin cancer is effective in young, fair-skinned patients.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes recommendations about the effectiveness of specific clinical interventions in light of published evidence. In 2003, the USPSTF found insufficient evidence to determine whether clinician counseling effectively altered patient behavior to reduce skin cancer risk. For its latest recommendation statement, the USPSTF reviewed the literature for new evidence on the benefits of such counseling.

The current statement now recommends that primary care physicians counsel fair-skinned 10- to 24-year-olds about minimizing ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure to reduce skin cancer risk. The task force found at least fair evidence that such counsel improves important health outcomes and that benefits ou…

Reviewing Author

Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD

Disclosures

Consultant / advisory board Lubax; WorldCare Clinical

EquityLubax

Grant / Research support NIH; Department of Defense; American Skin Association; Piramal

Editorial boardsBritish Journal of Dermatology; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Chair, Skin Cancer and Melanoma Committee); American Board of Dermatology (Director)