Online training for doctors of non-oncology specialties on the prevention and early diagnosis of malignant skin tumors.
Authors:   Nizhny Novgorod Region State Budgetary Institution of Health Care «Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Oncological Dispensary», Sivodedova N.A. , Karyakin N. N. ,   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution "PIMU" of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Shlivko I.L. ,   Volga Region Medical Research University, Ministry of Health of Russia
Published: January 2024

One of the reasons for the late diagnosis of malignant skin neoplasms (hereinafter referred to as MNS) is the insufficient knowledge of doctors in non-oncology specialties [1], [2]. The sensitivity for recognizing cutaneous melanoma (hereinafter referred to as MNS) during a visual examination by primary care physicians is 40,2% [3]. The sensitivity of recognizing MNS for an inexperienced dermatologist is 69%, compared to the sensitivity of diagnosing MNS by an experienced dermatologist is 92% [4]. Also, the reason for the late diagnosis of MNS is an insufficiently complete examination of patients. Evidence suggests that doctors do not routinely offer full body mole screening. Up to 63% of patients diagnosed with MK visited their GP in the year before diagnosis. Only 30% of dermatologists perform a full body skin examination on all of their patients [5]. Thus, an important method is the education of doctors of non-oncology specialties in the form of training programs in the principles of early diagnosis of cancer, which in turn can help improve the oncological epidemiological situation [9]. The purpose of this study is to study the effectiveness of organizing an 8-hour online training aimed at raising the awareness of nononcology doctors on the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. Material and methods. An 8-hour online course «Early diagnosis of skin tumors» was conducted for doctors, created by a group of authors on the platform «Personal Account of a Doctor at the Volga Research Medical University.» The training course included the following issues: risk factors for MK and other cancers, a description of the diagnostic algorithm using the ABCDE method with an illustration of each sign on photographic images, differential diagnosis of skin tumors, prevention with an emphasis on protection from ultraviolet radiation. The course used 82 photographs of MNS. The illustrated material consisted of 30 images of MK, 25 images of basal cell skin cancer (BCSC), 15 images of seborrheic keratoma of the skin, 12 images of skin hemangiomas. Conclusion. As a result of online training, one can note an improvement in the level of knowledge of doctors after completing an online course aimed at the prevention and early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Increasing the specificity of diagnosing nevi (0,846, 0,953) before and after, respectively, can help reduce costs in the “secondary level” of healthcare. The topic of prevention presented in the course also contributes to conducting preventive conversations with patients and correct patient routing. Thus, conducting online training has a number of advantages and shows good learning results. The diagnostic methods discussed in the course, aimed at clarifying the diagnosis of cancer, especially in the early stages of the disease, predetermine the choice of optimal treatment tactics and are the key to ensuring the best prognosis of the disease.