Many Patients Do Not Understand Skin Cancer-Related Terms
Overall, 64.2 and 61.1 percent of patients correctly defined clear margins and pathology results, while only 13.6 percent understood actinic
By Dermsquared Editorial Team | March 05, 2026
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of patients do not understand commonly used skin cancer-related terms, according to a research letter recently published in JAMA Dermatology.
Juna Khang, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues examined patient understanding of commonly used cutaneous oncology-related words and phrases in a survey study. Comprehension of 13 common skin cancer-related terms was assessed using multiple-choice questions with one correct answer.
Overall, 166 of 182 eligible patients completed the survey. The researchers observed variation in knowledge scores by demographic subgroup. Patients aged 18 to 29 years scored significantly lower than those aged 60 years or older (β = −17.88). The highest scores were seen for participants with graduate degrees and those with more than five prior dermatology visits. Regarding individual terms, 95.0 percent of patients correctly defined skin biopsy and topical; 13.6 and 21.6 percent understood the meaning of actinic and dysplastic nevus, respectively, while 64.2 and 61.1 percent correctly defined clear margins and pathology results, respectively. Overall, 82.2, 69.9, and 59.4 percent of participants, respectively, identified melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma as skin cancers.
"These findings are concerning and highlight the need for dermatologists to use clearer, more accessible language when discussing skin cancer diagnoses, treatments, and risks," the authors write.