Today@Dal

Published by The Canadian Press on September 6:

It could appear on your scalp. Or the sole of your foot. Under a fingernail. Or on a stretch of your back virtually impossible to see without a three-way mirror.

Skin cancers can show up anywhere. And while we all should be keeping an eye out for moles on our skin that are changing colour or size, there are a lot of other people who can help detect skin cancer as well.

Your hairdresser or barber sees far more of your scalp than you ever will. A massage therapist gets a great view of a client's back. A podiatrist can see the cracks between toes and the bottom of your feet.

Any person who provides a health-related service - allied medical professionals - or even a beauty-based one can play a role in early detection of skin cancer, suggests Dr. Richard Langley, president-elect of the Canadian Dermatology Association.

"Skin cancer can occur on any cutaneous surface ... from the feet up to the scalp. So when you think about it, you can see that there is a broad group of medical, allied medical and non-medical (professionals) that could provide a benefit to patients by screening in these areas," says Langley, a professor and director of dermatology research at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Read the rest at the Calgary Herald.