Knowledge of the community about risk and skin cancer in a municipality of Santander
Keywords:
Skin neoplasms, risk factors, sunlight, prevention and control, nevus (MESH)Abstract
Background: Non melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer; it has a low mortality but significant morbidity. One of the pillars in the management of skin cancer is primary prevention, as the main risk factor is solar ultraviolet radiation. Preventive campaigns have been done on this subject but people’s knowledge is unknown.
Methods: A health day was done in October 2009 in a town of Santander, in order to give care to patients of different specialties, among them, dermatology. Besides medical consultation, a written exam was performed to assess knowledge about skin cancer.
Results: Attention was given to 64 patients, 70% female (n = 45) and 30% male (n = 19), with a predominance of adults in both sexes. Dermatomycoses and actinic keratoses were the most frequent diagnosis, followed by nevus, acne and basal cell carcinoma on the face. The survey of 115 people responded, 96% (n = 110) knew of skin cancer. Of these 55% felt that skin cancer is very common; 25%, frequently; 16%, rarely, and 4% did not know there was skin cancer. 80% mentioned that occurs in both sexes considered 11% more common in women, 5% in men. 4% did not know. 59.2% thought that occurs at any age and 24.4% believe that only affects adults. 86.1% considered the sun as the most common risk factor. 45.2% think that the most common complication of skin cancer is death, 19.1% do not know of other complications and consider the deterioration of the skin, pigmentation and deformity in the aftermath of cancer. 62.7% considered the sunscreen as the most important way to prevent this, 17.4% attending physician assumes that prevents its presentation, and 9% do not know how to preventable skin cancer.
Author Biographies
María Claudia Guzmán
Médica, residente de segundo año de Dermatología, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Vanessa Torres
Médica, residente de segundo año de Dermatología, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Leyla Reyes
Médica interna, rotación especial de Dermatología, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Ricardo Flaminio Rojas
Médico dermatólogo, docente, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Hernando Mosquera
Médico dermatólogo; jefe del programa, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
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