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Background: The incidence of skin cancers has been increasing steadily over the last decades. Although there have been significant breakthroughs in the management of skin cancers with the introduction of novel diagnostic tools and innovative therapies, skin cancer mortality, morbidity and costs heavily burden the society. Objective: Members of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology, European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, International Dermoscopy Society, European Dermatology Forum, European Board of Dermatovenereology of the European Union of Medical Specialists and EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Task Force have joined this effort to emphasize the fundamental role that the specialist in Dermatology–Venereology has in the diagnosis and management of different types of skin cancer. We review the role of dermatologists in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers and cutaneous lymphomas, and discuss approaches to optimize their involvement in effectively addressing the current needs and priorities of dermato-oncology. Discussion: Dermatologists play a crucial role in virtually all aspects of skin cancer management including the implementation of primary and secondary prevention, the formation of standardized pathways of care for patients, the establishment of specialized skin cancer treatment centres, the coordination of an efficient multidisciplinary team and the setting up of specific follow-up plans for patients. Conclusion: Skin cancers represent an important health issue for modern societies. The role of dermatologists is central to improving patient care and outcomes. In view of the emerging diagnostic methods and treatments for early and advanced skin cancer, and considering the increasingly diverse skills, knowledge and expertise needed for managing this heterogeneous group of diseases, dermato-oncology should be considered as a specific subspecialty of Dermatology–Venereology.

The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Forces (TFs) on Quality of Life (QoL) and Patient Oriented Outcomes, Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) present a review of the literature and position statement on health-related (HR) QoL assessment in skin cancer patients. A literature search was carried out to identify publications since 1980 that included information about the impact of SC on QoL. Generic, dermatology-specific, cancer-specific, SC-specific, facial SC-specific, NMSC-specific, basal cell carcinoma-specific and melanoma-specific QoL questionnaires have been used to assess HRQoL in SC patients. HRQoL was assessed in the context of creation and validation of the HRQoL instruments, clinical trials, comparison of QoL in SC and other cancers, other diseases or controls, HRQoL assessment after treatment, comorbidities, behaviour modification, predictors of QoL and survival, supportive care needs, coping strategies and fear of cancer recurrence. The most widely used instruments for HRQoL assessment in SC patients are the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Melanoma (FACT-M), Skin Cancer Index (SCI), Short Form 36 Item Health Survey (SF-36) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The TFs recommend the use of the cancer-specific EORTC QLQ-C30, especially in late stages of disease, and the melanoma-specific FACT-M and SC-specific SCI questionnaires. These instruments have been well validated and used in several studies. Other HRQoL instruments, also with good basic validation, are not currently recommended because the experience of their use is too limited. Dermatology-specific HRQoL instruments can be used to assess the impact of skin-related problems in SC. The TFs encourage further studies to validate HRQoL instruments for use in different stages of SC, in order to allow more detailed practical recommendations on HRQoL as

A new technological approach for supplying hypoxic chronic wounds with oxygen is a moist wound treatment with aqueous solutions containing tissue compatible oxygen binders. This facilitates diffusion of oxygen, necessary for the healing process, from the surroundings (room air through an open-porous wound padding) into the ulcerous tissue. A product that is still in development is a spray which contains hemoglobin obtained from domestic pigs. Clinical investigations (a clinical trial, treatment observations and single patient uses) are presented, which were performed to create clinical data regarding efficiency and safety of this product. All data have shown that the application of the hemoglobin spray promoted wound healing in all analyzed cases.Data from a clinical study in Mexico and subsequent therapy observations revealed that in 39 out of 42 patients (93%) the treated wounds were healed. 9 patients from a series of therapy observations in Monterrey (Mexico) showed similar observations. All treated wounds were closed. Single patient uses carried out in Witten (Germany; 6 wounds from 8 (75%)) and Prague (Czech Republic; 5 wounds from 5 (100%) were healed) further support these results: The application of hemoglobin spray can promote healing of chronic wounds. Within the framework of the clinical investigation, the treatment observations, and the individual healing experiments the hemoglobin spray was applied more than 2,000 times onto chronic wounds of 82 patients. In all cases, the spray was well tolerated and there were no adverse event that might have been an adverse reaction to the hemoglobin spray., Ein neuer technologischer Ansatz zur Versorgung hypoxischer chronischer Wunden mit dem zur Heilung benötigten Sauerstoff ist eine feuchte Wundbehandlung mit wässrigen Lösungen, in denen gut gewebeverträgliche Sauerstoff-Binder eine erleichterte Diffusion von Sauerstoff aus der Umgebung (Raumluft aus einer offenporigen Wundauflage) zum Ulcus-Gewebe ermöglichen. Ein Produkt in Entwicklung enthält als Sauerstoff-Binder Hämoglobin vom Hausschwein (Hämoglobin-Spray).Klinische Untersuchungen (eine klinische Studie, Therapiebeobachtungen und individuelle Heilversuche) werden präsentiert, aus denen sich klinische Daten zur Wirksamkeit und Unbedenklichkeit ergeben.Alle durchgeführten Anwendungen des Hämoglobin-Spray ergaben, dass die Wundheilung gefördert wurde. In einer klinischen Studie und einer unmittelbar nachfolgenden Serie von Therapiebeobachtungen konnten bei 39 von 42 Patienten (93%) die behandelten Wunden komplett geheilt werden. In gleicher Weise wurden die Wunden von 9 Patienten einer weiteren Serie von Therapiebeobachtungen in Monterrey (Mexiko) bis zur Abheilung behandelt. Individuelle Heilversuche in Witten (Deutschland; 6 von 8 Wunden (75%) abgeheilt) und in Prag (Tschechische Republik; 5 von 5 Wunden (100%) geheilt) bestätigen diese Ergebnisse: Anwendungen des Hämoglobin-Sprays können die Heilung chronischer Wunden fördern.Dabei wurden die Anwendungen des Hämoglobin-Spray ausnahmslos gut vertragen, sämtliche beobachteten unerwünschten Ereignisse während der Anwendungen hatten andere Ursachen. Im Rahmen der klinischen Studie, der Therapiebeobachtungen und der individuellen Heilversuche wurde das Hämoglobin-Spray über 2.000-mal in den chronischen Wunden von 82 Patienten angewendet. Es wurde durchgehend gut vertragen, und es gab keine unerwünschten Ereignisse, die verdächtig waren, möglicherweise unerwünschte Reaktionen auf das Hämoglobin-Spray zu sein.

Six out of 10 patients with chronic wounds suffer from persistent wound pain. A multinational and multicenter randomized double-blind clinical investigation of 122 patients compared two moist wound healing dressings: a nonadhesive foam dressing with ibuprofen (62 patients randomized to Biatain Ibu Nonadhesive Coloplast A/S) and a nonadhesive foam without ibuprofen (60 patients to Biatain Non-Adhesive-comparator). Patients were recruited from September 2005 to April 2006. The ibuprofen foam was considered successful if the pain relief on a five-point Verbal Rating Scale was higher than the comparator without compromising safety including appropriate healing rate. Additional endpoints were change in persistent wound pain between dressing changes and pain at dressing change on days 1-5 (double blind) and days 43-47 (single blind). The primary response variable, persistent pain relief, was significantly higher in the ibuprofen-foam group, as compared with the comparator on day 1-5, with a quick onset of action (p < 0.05). Wound pain intensity was significantly reduced with the ibuprofen foam during day 1-5 with 40% from baseline, compared with 30% with the comparator (p < 0.001). At day 43-47, the patients in the ibuprofen-foam group had a significant (p < 0.05) reemergence of persistent pain and pain at dressing change (p < 0.05) when the active dressing was changed to the comparator. Wound healing was similar in the ibuprofen foam and comparator group. No difference in adverse events between the comparator and the ibuprofen foam with local sustained release of low-dose ibuprofen was observed in this study. It was generally found that women reported less pain intensity than men, and pain intensity decreased with increasing age. In addition, pain intensity increased with initial pain intensity and increasing wound size. This study has demonstrated that the ibuprofen-foam dressing provided pain relief and reduced pain intensity without compromising healing or