Whoops...

Last night I posted a blog called “When Should a Child Start Seeing a Dermatologist to Check for Skin Cancer?”  I suggested that one should “examine your child for the same suspicious moles and spots that you would an adult.”

A sharp-eyed fellow melanoma advocate was kind enough to tell me that I was wrong.  (cough cough Rev Carol cough cough)  She eluded, “Pediatric melanoma is very different from adult melanoma and usually presents itself differently, too.”

I stand corrected and slightly embarrassed.  I usually research or at least reference my sources for medical statistics, especially considering that I’m not in the medical field (note disclaimer to the left!)  However, in this case, I made a general assumption that melanoma on children would be the same as that on adults.  I was mistaken.

The rest of my blog post still stands on its own…take your kids in to the dermatologist especially if there is family history of melanoma or if there is an unusual or suspicious spot.  However, as I learned, the criteria for that suspicious spot could very well be much different than a spot or melanoma on your own body.

Pediatric Melanoma will be the subject of a blog post very soon…as soon as I do the necessary research!