Q&A: Healthy Skin Month—What Clinicians Should Watch in Skin Cancer Care

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) designates each November as National Healthy Skin Month, an observance launched in 1997 to encourage lifelong skin care habits and early detection of skin disease.¹ The 2023 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation assigns an I statement to clinician-performed visual skin cancer screening in asymptomatic adolescents and adults, leaving the decision to screen to clinical judgment.² The same statement notes melanoma is about 30 times more common in White persons than in Black persons, yet persons with darker skin are often diagnosed at later stages.²

Prevention tools are also shifting, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added bemotrizinol to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph on June 9, 2026, the first new sunscreen active ingredient added since the late 1990s.³ Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP, clinical director of education at DOCS Dermatology Group, brings a dermatology nurse practitioner’s perspective to prevention and early detection across diverse patient populations.

In the following interview with the HCPLive team, Pansch discusses year-round photoprotection, missed opportunities for early detection, counseling strategies, overlooked patient groups, and the developments clinicians should watch in the coming year:

HCPLive: In light of National Healthy Skin Month, why does year-round photoprotection matter?

Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP: The biggest message I want patients to take away is that sun protection is a 365-day commitment, not just a summer activity. One of the most common misconceptions I encounter is that sunscreen is only necessary when temperatures are high or when patients are spending extended time outdoors.

UV exposure doesn’t take a winter break. UVA rays penetrate clouds and glass and contribute to premature aging, DNA damage, and skin cancer risk throughout the year. Snow can also reflect UV radiation, increasing exposure during outdoor winter activities.

I encourage patients to make sunscreen part of their daily morning routine, just like brushing their teeth. I recommend a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, along with protective clothing, hats, and seeking shade when appropriate.

I also remind patients that a history of tanning, sunburns, or cumulative UV exposure doesn’t disappear when summer ends. Prevention is about reducing ongoing exposure and protecting the skin over a lifetime.

HCPLive: What are the most common missed opportunities for early skin cancer detection?

Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP: One of the biggest missed opportunities is assuming that a skin cancer will always look like a changing mole. Patients and clinicians alike can overlook lesions that present as a nonhealing sore, a scaly patch, a pearly bump, or a persistent area of irritation or bleeding.

Another challenge is that skin examinations are not always incorporated into routine care. Primary care visits offer an important opportunity to ask about changing lesions, personal and family history of skin cancer, tanning bed use, and prior blistering sunburns.

I would encourage clinicians to:

• Ask patients whether they have any new, changing, bleeding, or nonhealing lesions.
• Identify patients with increased risk, including those with a personal history of skin cancer, significant UV exposure, immunosuppression, or a strong family history.
• Perform a focused skin assessment when concerns or risk factors are identified.
• Refer suspicious lesions promptly rather than taking a prolonged watch-and-wait approach.
• Educate patients on the ABCDEs of melanoma and the importance of recognizing the “ugly duckling” sign.

We also need to emphasize that a concerning lesion deserves attention regardless of whether it is painful. Many skin cancers are asymptomatic in their early stages.

HCPLive: What counseling strategies actually change patient behavior?

Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP: I think one of the most important things we can do is move away from simply telling patients what they should do and instead help them understand how to make prevention realistic and sustainable.

Patients often know the recommendations but struggle with consistency. I find that counseling is more effective when it is personalized, practical, and nonjudgmental.

A few strategies I emphasize include:

• Make it simple: Recommend a sunscreen patients enjoy using and can afford. If they dislike the texture, smell, or appearance, they are less likely to use it consistently.
• Connect prevention to existing habits: Encourage patients to apply sunscreen as part of their morning skincare routine, rather than treating it as an additional task.
• Use visual education: Show patients examples of skin cancers, including what they can look like on different skin tones. Visual education can make the risks more tangible.
• Set realistic expectations: Reinforce that sunscreen is one component of prevention. Protective clothing, hats, shade, and avoiding tanning beds are equally important parts of the conversation.
• Encourage monthly skin checks: Suggest checking the skin on the same day each month, using a mirror or asking a partner to help examine hard-to-see areas. Taking baseline photographs can also help patients recognize changes over time.

I also try to avoid making patients feel guilty about past sun exposure. Instead, I focus on what they can do moving forward.

My goal is to make prevention feel achievable, not overwhelming. Consistency is more important than perfection, and small behavioral changes can have a meaningful impact over time.

HCPLive: Which patient groups are most overlooked in skin cancer screening and prevention?

Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP: Patients with skin of color are an especially important population that deserves more attention. There is a persistent misconception that individuals with darker skin tones do not develop skin cancer or that melanin provides complete protection against UV damage. Neither is true.

Although melanoma is less common in Black patients than in White patients, it is often diagnosed at more advanced stages in patients with darker skin tones. This makes education, clinical awareness, and early evaluation particularly important.

We also need to recognize that melanoma may present differently in these populations. Acral lentiginous melanoma can develop on the palms, soles, fingers, toes, and underneath the nails. These may not receive significant sun exposure, so patients and clinicians may not immediately recognize them as potential sites of skin cancer.

Other overlooked populations include:

• Older adults: Particularly those with decades of cumulative UV exposure and a history of outdoor occupations.
• Immunosuppressed patients: Including organ transplant recipients and patients taking immunosuppressive medications, who have increased risks of certain skin cancers.
• Outdoor workers and athletes: Individuals with chronic occupational or recreational UV exposure who may not prioritize consistent sun protection.
• Patients with limited access to dermatologic care: Those facing financial, geographic, insurance, or transportation barriers.
• Patients with a personal or family history of skin cancer: Who may need more individualized surveillance and ongoing dermatologic follow-up.

For patients with skin of color, I think clinicians need to be especially intentional about education. We should discuss changes in pigmentation, nonhealing sores, unusual growths, and nail changes, while emphasizing examination of the palms, soles, and nail beds.

We also need better representation of diverse skin tones in clinical education and diagnostic training. If clinicians are primarily trained to recognize skin cancer on lighter skin, we risk missing important presentations in other populations.

Ultimately, skin cancer prevention and early detection should be inclusive, risk-based, and individualized. Skin tone should never be a reason to dismiss a concerning lesion.

HCPLive: What developments in skin cancer prevention are you watching, and what should clinicians discuss in the coming year?

Leigh Ann Pansch, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP: There are several exciting developments in dermatology that I think will influence how we approach skin cancer prevention and early detection.

First, sunscreen innovation.

One particularly noteworthy development in 2026 is the FDA’s approval of bemotrizinol as a new over-the-counter sunscreen active ingredient. This is significant because it is the first new active sunscreen ingredient added to the U.S. OTC sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s.

I am interested in how newer sunscreen formulations may improve broad-spectrum protection, tolerability, and patient adherence. We should continue educating patients about choosing broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and finding formulations that work well with their individual skin types and concerns.

For patients with skin of color, tinted mineral sunscreens containing iron oxides are also worth discussing because they can provide additional protection against visible light, which can contribute to hyperpigmentation, particularly melasma.

Second, artificial intelligence and digital skin assessment.

AI-assisted lesion detection is an area I am watching closely. These technologies have the potential to help identify suspicious lesions, support clinical decision-making, and improve triage, particularly in settings with limited access to dermatologists.

However, I think it is important to emphasize that AI is an adjunct, not a replacement for clinical assessment. Emerging 2026 research continues to demonstrate limitations in real-world diagnostic performance, particularly with atypical lesions and populations that may be underrepresented in training datasets.

We need to ensure these technologies are validated across diverse skin tones and are used responsibly. A reassuring result from a smartphone application should never override clinical concern about a changing or suspicious lesion.

Third, evolving screening recommendations and personalized risk assessment.

I think clinicians should be familiar with the current USPSTF recommendation, which gives an I statement for routine clinician-performed visual skin cancer screening in asymptomatic adolescents and adults because evidence is insufficient to determine the overall balance of benefits and harms.

Importantly, this does not mean that suspicious lesions should go unevaluated or that higher-risk patients should not receive appropriate surveillance. Patients with concerning symptoms, a personal history of skin cancer, or significant risk factors require individualized clinical assessment.

I would like to see continued progress toward more personalized screening strategies that account for individual risk, diverse skin tones, family history, immunosuppression, and barriers to accessing dermatologic care.

Ultimately, the biggest opportunity is combining innovation with education and access to care. New sunscreen ingredients, AI technology, and improved diagnostic tools are exciting, but they do not replace the fundamentals: recognizing suspicious lesions, practicing consistent sun protection, performing regular skin self-examinations, and seeking timely evaluation.

As dermatology providers, we have an opportunity to make skin cancer prevention a routine part of patient education throughout the year, not just during Skin Cancer Awareness Month or the summer season.

Editor’s Note: This Q&A transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools.

References

1. American Academy of Dermatology. National Healthy Skin Month. Accessed November 12, 2026. https://www.aad.org/public/public-health/awareness-campaigns/national-healthy-skin-month.

2. US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for skin cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2023;329(15):1290-1295. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4342.

3. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA expands sunscreen options for the first time in 20 years. Published June 9, 2026. Accessed November 12, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-expands-sunscreen-options-first-time-20-years.