Acral Lentiginous Melanoma (ALM) is a rare diagnosis that typically appears in places people do not normally check, in the nail beds and on the palms and soles of the hands and feet. This subtype of melanoma is unique in that, unlike most melanomas, it does not arise from sun exposure and it mainly affects the black population. Most diagnoses of ALM are made in late stages, leading to a higher mortality. As evident from community-based surveys, there is a lack of awareness in the black population about melanoma and sun risks and most black individuals do not regularly visit a dermatologist. Thus, there is a need for a community intervention to raise awareness to this problem and to detect these cancers before they reach the late stages of disease progression. In the past, community interventions in the black community have focused on prostate cancer, hypertension, and breast health with good success using the barber shop model. In this study, we utilize the salon model to implement a melanoma training course that educate nail technicians to recognize signs of ALM and detect this cancer on their clients’ nails and soles. We also complement this training with a tele-dermatology service so that customers can get timely follow-up from a medical provider. By using a community intervention, we can tackle multiple problems simultaneously; detection of early signs of ALM and improving dermatology access to patients on Medicaid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/49467 |
| Date | 04 November 2024 |
| Creators | Kaufman, Colleen |
| Contributors | Stern, Aliza, Weinstein, John |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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