Modifiable Risk-factors for Keratinocyte Cancers in Australia: A Case-control Study.

Keratinocyte cancer is the most common malignancy in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to investigate risk-factors responsible for development of keratinocyte cancer in Australia. A case-control study was conducted, including 112 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 95 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 122 controls.

What community-based preceptors want in teaching medical students: findings from a mixed methods study.

Context: Clinical clerkships in medical colleges are increasingly relying on teaching by community physicians in ambulatory clinics.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the attitudes and perceptions of community physicians towards teaching medical students at their clinics.

Methods: A focus group discussion with 14 and a survey questionnaire of 23 community-based physicians were conducted.

Agreement between histological diagnosis of skin lesions by histopathologists and a dermato-histopathologist.

Background: Skin cancer is an increasing problem in fair-skinned populations worldwide. It is important that doctors are able to diagnose skin lesions accurately, and this is supported by accurate histological diagnosis.

Objective: To compare agreement for histological diagnosis between local histopathologists with a dermato-histopathologist from a stratified random sample of excised skin lesions derived from a set of epidemiological data.

Management of superficial basal cell carcinoma: focus on imiquimod.

Superficial basal cell carcinoma comprise up to 25% of all histological sub-types. They are more likely to occur on younger persons and females and although generally more common on the trunk, also occur frequently on the exposed areas of the head and neck especially in areas of high sun exposure. In the last decade, new treatment options such as topical applications that modify the immune response have been trialed for effectiveness in treating these lesions.

Knowledge and perceptions about sunburn and solar keratoses in Australia.

An omnibus telephone survey of 1200 adult Australians determined self-reported prevalence of and attitudes to sunburn and sunspots, knowledge of the term solar keratosis and prevalence of skin checks. Half reported they had been sunburnt in the previous year. Seventy-eight per cent considered sunburn to be extremely or very serious, while 73% considered sunspots as serious or very serious.