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Findings of a Kaiser Permanante study suggest that radiation treatment can help reduce the recurrence of Merkel cell carcinoma, but that chemotherapy appears to have little effect on recurrence or survival.

A recent study suggests that the most important predictive factors of recurrence for nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) following radiotherapy include immunosuppression, age of the patient, tumor size as well as the treatment modality used.

Social media success requires accentuating the positive, as well as recognizing the potential impact of every comment or click, according to experts at the Cosmetic Surgery Forum, held here.

When it comes to social media, says Tracy L. Drumm, vice president of IF Marketing, “There’s a fine line between building your business and wasting your time. I see social media as a way to retain patients, build your brand and focus on relationship marketing.”

Dr. Expert has been in practice for 15 years and is has treated thousands of patients with psoriasis. He was requested to serve as an expert witness for another dermatologist involving dosing of methotrexate. It is determined that Dr. Expert’s resulting testimony is wrong based on improper calculations by a “hired” dermatology resident. Can an expert be sued for malpractice?

Both dermatologists and patients have expectations of what might result from an office visit. Dermatologists hope to meet the patient’s expectations and heal or address their concerns. Patients also have an expectation, and meeting those expectations yields patient satisfaction and a good patient/physician interaction.

Different agents have become available for scabies treatment, but topical permethrin cream 5 percent is still the go-to therapy, according to an expert. In combination with oral ivermectin, even the most challenging cases of scabies can be addressed effectively.

Female pattern hair loss typically will present with diffuse thinning of the hair on the top and crown of the scalp without hairline recession, and the hair loss rarely progresses to total or near total hair loss.

Current advances in the science of innate immune defense are helping to further elucidate the role of P. acnes, sebocytes and keratinocytes in the development of acne.

Careful examination of the nails recently helped reveal deliberate heavy metal poisoning in two murder cases, leading to the arrest of the perpetrators in two sordid who-done-it murder investigations.

Results of a new study suggest that mutations in a gene that helps drive immune response may lead to pustular psoriasis. The finding could lead to a more effective treatment for the condition.

Researchers have developed a new method for using immunotherapy to specifically attack tumor cells that have mutations unique to a patient’s cancer.

A phase 3 trial of brodalumab (AMG 827) for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis demonstrated positive results, meeting primary and secondary endpoints.

Defects in the skin that cause eczema may also help to lower the risk of skin cancer, recent research suggests.

Results of a new study suggest that having an established dermatologist can make a big difference for patients with self-detected primary melanoma.

A combination therapy using laser-cision and pinhole method with CO2 laser may clear hypertrophic burn scars, according to results of a small study.

Jill Waibel, M.D., discusses lasers and light-based technology with Dermatology Times. Dr. Waibel, owner of Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute, will be a panel member at the laser roundtable discussion at the 2014 Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology meeting in June.

The electronic medical record (EMR) has become a fact of life for many dermatologists while others are hesitant to change the way they have practiced and have resisted switching to this form of record keeping. Daniel Siegel, M.D., discusses the ramifications of EMR adoption and outlines the path toward adoption of this technology.

Treatments for melasma often fail because they do not address both the dermal and epidermal components of the condition, an expert says.

Despite the initial inconvenience, a well-implemented electronic health record (EHR) system can improve patient care and office workflows, according to an expert.

Peer-reviewed data on cosmeceuticals is lacking, but some of the most thoroughly researched offerings include coconut oil and lignin peroxidase, according to experts who spoke at Cosmetic Surgery Forum.

Treating excess pigmentation without hydroquinone requires a multipronged attack, including thoroughly researched agents wherever possible, according to experts at Cosmetic Surgery Forum.

Histological reports on atypical or dysplastic nevi that include margin comments appear to have a significant impact on how the clinician will proceed regarding the potential re-excision of lesions, according to a recent literature review.

Tax planning is like medicine. Each area has become so complex that one can only hope to become an expert in one discipline.

Many of the current definitions of skin diseases used in dermatology have changed and morphed over the years, as clinicians learn more and amass volumes of new information regarding many different features, characteristics and associations of dermatologic diseases.

The newest fad in antiperspirant/deodorants worldwide is skin lightening of the armpits combined with moisture and odor control. The need for armpit skin lightening is most pronounced among the higher Fitzpatrick skin types, in which armpit pigmentation is common.

Physicians have greatly changed the ways in which they use photodynamic therapy (PDT) since it was introduced, according to an expert who spoke at the South Beach Symposium recently.

Currently available fillers and filler techniques are changing the way dermatologists approach volume loss in the midface and beyond, according to experts at Cosmetic Surgery Forum, held in Las Vegas.

When considering the pluses, minuses and makeup of currently available fillers, according to an expert speaking at Cosmetic Surgery Forum, dermatologists must rely on their own insights and industriousness rather than manufacturers’ messages.

Patients are online, looking for information about their symptoms and illnesses or tips for living healthier lives. With so much information out there, why would a dermatologist add to the incredible amount of online noise by starting a new blog? Here are nine specific reasons why dermatologists should blog.