Early detection of melanoma appears more common among younger patients, those living in areas with high concentrations of dermatologists and those whose cancer is detected by dermatologists. Frédérique Durbec, M.D., of Hôpital Robert Debré, France, and colleagues studied new cases of cutaneous melanoma in five regions of northeastern France in 2004. Of the 652 patients who had cancers detected, 45.1 percent were diagnosed among those who consulted dermatologists directly, 26.1 percent were referred to dermatologists by general practitioners, 14…
