E-Mail Bottom Line: Among patients at high risk of melanoma, those who received routine skin cancer screening and education about skin self-exams were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with thinner and earlier stage melanomas. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research Author: Michael Sargen, MD, a dermatologist and clinical fellow in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Background: "Whole-body screening for melanoma is currently routine for individuals at high risk for melanoma. These individuals include members of melanoma-prone families, categorized as having at least two relatives who have had melanoma, and those with inherited pathogenic gene variants that increase melanoma risk," said Sargen. "However, the benefit of screening in melanoma-prone families has not been previously quantified."