Malignant melanoma in the 1990s: The continued importance of earlydetection and the role of physician examination and self‐examination of theskin

Despite the exciting new techniques being developed to help diagnoseearly malignant melanoma, the current standard of care remains periodicexamination of the skin. The combination of routine physician examinationcoupled with self‐examination of the skin provides an opportunity for theidentification of early malignant melanoma. Removal of such thin lesionscan significantly reduce the ever‐increasing mortality rate from thispotentially serious form of cutaneous cancer.