Survey Shows Common Skin Cancer Terms Often Misunderstood
Key Takeaways
Overall comprehension of skin cancer terminology was low to moderate (mean, 68.7%), with younger adults, racial/ethnic minority groups, and those with less education tending to score lower.
Terms such as actinic and dysplastic nevus were poorly understood (< 22% accuracy).
Researchers called for clearer, more accessible language in dermatology.
A research letter looking at how well patients understand commonly used terminology related to skin published in JAMA Dermatology revealed significant gaps that could hinder informed decision-making, according to the study researchers.
The authors deployed an anonymous survey of 166 adult patients at a Boston dermatology clinic, where participants were asked to define 13 routine cutaneous oncology terms.
Overall comprehension was modest (mean accuracy score, 68.7%), and performance varied significantly by demographic factors. Younger adults ( aged 18 to 29 years) scored markedly lower than those 60 years or older, and individuals with graduate degrees or extensive dermatology experience (> 5 visits) demonstrated the strongest understanding. P
Patients in direct patient-care roles had the highest knowledge scores; those with no health care backgrounds scored lower. Common clinical concepts such as “topical” and “skin biopsy” were correctly defined by > 95% of respondents, but just 13.6% and 21.6% understood “actinic” and “dysplastic nevus,” respectively. Cancer types were not universally recognized either, with 30% failing to identify squamous cell carcinoma as a skin cancer, and 40% not recognizing basal cell carcinoma.
"Critically, nearly one-third of patients did not understand terms frequently used by dermatologists, such as clear margins (35.8%) and pathology results (38.5%)," the authors wrote. "Furthermore, most patients could not define dysplastic nevus or actinic, limiting their ability to grasp the implications of such findings for long-term skin cancer risks. A substantial portion of respondents (25 [20%], 67 [30%], and 49 [40%]) did not identify melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma as cancers, respectively. These findings are concerning and highlight the need for dermatologists to use clearer, more accessible language when discussing skin cancer diagnoses, treatments, and risks."