Awareness of Melanoma and Skin Self-Examination at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan: A Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices

Abstract

Background Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, contributes to a majority of skin cancer fatalities globally. It carries a grim prognosis with a high propensity for early metastasis. People are not aware of moles, their natural course of progression, and skin self-examination. Consistent skin examinations have demonstrated enhanced survival rates. The month of May is celebrated for melanoma awareness. Objective This study aims to evaluate the awareness of the general public on mole cancer and skin self-examination (SSE). Materials and methods This prospective, survey-based study was conducted through interviews in the outpatient department of Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, in May 2022. Questions based on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of melanoma and skin self-examination were asked during the survey in the native language. The collected data underwent analysis using Google Form (Google Inc., Mountain View, USA) and IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24 (Released 2016; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Descriptive analysis was performed by a statistician. Categorical data were analyzed to determine frequency and percentage, while continuous data were computed as mean and standard deviation. Results The findings reveal that a staggering 81% of the surveyed population were unaware of melanoma. A staggering 70% admitted to never having conducted self-body examinations. Interestingly, about 57% of the population had moles on their bodies, yet a significant 90% showed no concern about them. Alarmingly, 85% had never sought medical advice on this matter. On average, half of the participants believed in the protective benefits of sunscreen, umbrellas, and sunglasses. Among those interviewed, 52% recognized the severity of melanoma, while only 33% understood its potential for spreading to other organs. Additionally, 57% agreed that self-examination could facilitate early detection, and 62% believed in the efficacy of regular skin checks for improving survival rates. Impressively, 90% of the patients found the survey informative, with half expressing high satisfaction with its conduct. Conclusion Melanoma is a concerning diagnosis, and simple SSE can increase survival. This survey concluded that it is imperative to raise awareness regarding the risk of melanoma, the benefit of conducting self-examination, and when to seek medical help. Larger studies are needed to extract broader aspects of various factors creating barriers to awareness.

Keywords: knowledge; melanoma; pakistan; personal satisfaction; practice; self-examination; skin examination; skin neoplasms; sunscreening agents.