A study that analyzed data from a six-year period finds that workers who need skin exams the most—because they work in outdoor settings—are also the least likely to get the necessary screenings. Robert Kirsner, M.D., Ph.D., Stiefel Laboratories Professor and vice chair of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and member of the Melanoma Site Disease Group at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, was among the investigators who analyzed data from 2000 to 2005 of more than 38,000 workers taking part in the National Health Interview Survey. It found that only 15 percent of U.S. workers reported receiving a skin exam in their lifetime; only 8 percent of those who had seen a health care worker in the past year received a skin exam.

The data clearly showed that the rate of reporting skin cancer screening was lowest for those in high-risk occupations—industries such as construction, forestry, fishing, and farming—where they are most likely to experience more sun exposure.

“High-risk populations are not receiving the screening they need, and it appears that socioeconomic factors are significant predictors of having a skin exam,” says Kirsner. He suggested developing and implementing local community health fairs that offer screening programs for high-risk workers.

The study was published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.