Script

WINTERTIME & MELANOMA
Katherine Fiala, MD, Dermatologist, Baylor Scott & White Health

{**ON CAM**} DO COOLER WINTER MONTHS MEAN YOU CAN TAKE A BREAK FROM PROTECTING YOUR SKIN AGAINST HARMFUL U-V RAYS? NOT ACCORDING TO DERMATOLOGISTS – WHO SAY YOUNG ADULTS ESPECIALLY NEED TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE MOST AGGRESSIVE FORM OF SKIN CANCER ALL YEAR ROUND.

{**TAKE VO**} TRT:40

BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE DERMATOLOGIST, DOCTOR KATHERINE FIALA, SAYS OLDER PATIENTS ARE AT HIGHEST RISK FOR LESS AGGRESSIVE… TYPES OF SKIN CANCER.
BUT MELANOMA IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST DIAGNOSED TYPE OF CANCER AMONG YOUNG AMERICANS BETWEEN THE AGES OF TWENTY-FOUR AND TWENTY-NINE.

FIALA SAYS THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY – BUT SO FAR, IT SEEMS RISK FACTORS INCLUDE A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION … COUPLED WITH INTERMITTENT BURSTS OF HIGH SUN EXPOSURE.

{**TAKE SOT**} KATHERINE FIALA, MD
Baylor Scott & White Health
TRT:20

And people may not realize that a small black spot on the back of their leg or shoulder is something that could potentially metastasize to the rest of their body. This also affects our younger patient population. I've seen patients in their 20s and 30s who have had to undergo treatment for metastatic melanoma.

{**TAKE GRAPHIC**}

DOCTOR FIALA TELLS HER PATIENTS TO REMEMBER THE 'A-B-C-D'…AND EVEN 'E'S OF SKIN CANCER.

LOOK FOR SPOTS WITH:
ASYMMETRY
A JAGGED BORDER
VARYING COLORS
A DIAMETER BIGGER THAN A PENCIL ERASER A
ND SPOTS THAT EVOLVE OVER TIME.