National report — Newer technologies including total-body photography, digital dermascopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and epidermal genetic information retrieval (EGIR) show promise as tools for improving early diagnosis of melanoma, experts say.

National report — The approval pathway created for follow-on biologic drugs, also called biosimilars, in the new healthcare reform package raises concerns related to drug prices and quality, dermatologists say. The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act gives originators of biologic drugs 12 years of data exclusivity.

National report — The newly passed federal healthcare legislation mandates changes that will impact dermatology practices to greater or lesser degrees, depending on practice size, patient base and other factors. But dermatologists say they're most concerned about what the legislation omits: an explanation of how the new Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board will function, and a fix for Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula.

National report — A six-month plan to forestall Medicare reimbursement cuts yet again — a proposal pending in the Senate at press time — is the latest in a series of delays that continues to leave dermatologists and other physicians frustrated.

National report — Payments or gifts of $10 or more to physicians from the pharmaceutical industry will be listed on a public website beginning Sept. 30, 2013, under the recently passed federal healthcare reform law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will post virtually all payments of $10 or more made to physicians or teaching hospitals by manufacturers of drugs, products or supplies covered under Medicare or Medicaid.

Although recent vitamin D research suggests that higher vitamin D levels might improve some health outcomes, these data are largely inconclusive and sometimes contradictory, dermatologists say. Moreover, they continue to recommend oral supplementation rather than intentional sun exposure for those interested in elevating their levels.

A recent study documenting addictive behavior in indoor tanners suggests physicians must change their tactics in addressing such individuals, say study authors and a dermatologist.

Keeping good closures from going bad requires not only thorough patient education and surgical planning by the physician, but also patient adherence to pre- and post-surgical instructions, according to an expert who spoke at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A German team is exploiting the genetic connection between actinic keratosis (AK) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) by developing an HPV-specific vaccine for Aks and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to a team member who spoke at MauiDerm 2010: Advances in Cosmetic and Medical Dermatology.