Doctors Book Botox Visits Before Cancer Screenings
A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that patients who were worried about potentially cancerous moles waited significantly longer for an appointment than those worried about their wrinkles.
To arrive at the findings, researchers posing as patients called every board-certified dermatologist in 12 cities including Boston, Cleveland, Lansing and Miami. Their results showed the typical wait for skin cancer screening was 26 days compared to an 8-day wait for Botox® treatments. In Boston’s case, the median wait for a cosmetic treatment was 55 days shorter than for a mole evaluation.
The study did not examine the possible explanations for the varying times, but experts in the field have a couple of theories about the cause. They include the widespread availability of physicians offering Botox and the financial incentives for performing cosmetic treatments.
According to dermatologist Dr Michael J Franzblau, doctors usually receive $400 to $600 for an anti-wrinkle treatment and $50 to $75 for a mole examination.
As the study’s lead author stated,
“We need to look further and figure out what is leading to shorter wait times for cosmetic patients.”
Dr Jack S Resneck, Jr
Assistant Professor
University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
Source: The New York Times
Related Links: CBC.ca; Virtual Mentor; msnbc; The Boston Globe; dermatologychannel.com
Related Podcast: Botox Podcast on Your Health Matters from rowan radio 89.7 WGLS fm
Tags: Allergan (NYSE: AGN); melanoma; basal cell carcinoma; detection; skin diseases; American Academy of Dermatology; Dr David Pariser
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