Recognizing skin cancer warning signs and risk behaviors
Question
The nurse reviews this note from an annual visit. Click to highlight the findings that require follow-up.
Annual visit for a 42-year-old man with fair skin who works in an office. Wears a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves when gardening on weekends. Uses a tanning bed twice a month during the winter "to keep some color". His wife says a mole on his upper back has grown larger and darker over the past 3 months. Applies broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed skin before spending time outdoors. Wears sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays. Skin on the arms and legs is intact with no rashes.
Highlighted phrases are the correct selections.
Answer
Uses a tanning bed twice a month during the winter "to keep some color" · His wife says a mole on his upper back has grown larger and darker over the past 3 months
Rationale
A mole that grows or darkens over a few months needs prompt evaluation, because evolution of a mole is one of the ABCDE warning signs of melanoma. Regular tanning-bed use exposes the skin to UV radiation, a recognized cause of skin cancer, so the nurse should address it and counsel the client to stop. The brimmed hat, long sleeves, sunscreen on exposed skin, and UV-blocking sunglasses are protective habits to reinforce.
Sources
Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.
- Sun Exposure (MedlinePlus health topic)
- Adapted from Open RN Nursing Health Promotion: HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
- The Risks of Tanning
- Reducing Risk for Skin Cancer (Source: CDC)
Last verified: 2 independent automated checks Question rn-hpm-00406, version 1
Checks are automated. No licensed clinician has reviewed this question. Check the sources and your program’s materials.
Report an error in this question. For education only; not medical advice. See all sources and licenses.