spotlight with Samantha Guild

Samantha Guild, JD, President of AIM at Melanoma Foundation, oversees numerous initiatives and collaborates across different organizations to address melanoma prevention and treatment, and, ultimately, a melanoma cure. Ms. Guild is a former litigation attorney who left her law practice in 2008 to join the Foundation as Director of Education, Public Policy, and Advocacy. Her mother, Valerie Guild, established the foundation in 2004 after her daughter Charlie (Samantha’s sister) died of melanoma in 2003. After Valerie passed away in 2020, Samantha became AIM’s president.

In this issue, I spoke with Ms. Guild about how AIM at Melanoma Foundation and Wipe Out Melanoma - California are changing the way communities confront melanoma, key questions and concerns patients should address with their dermatologists, and how patients can advocate for themselves with their health care providers in getting the attention and care they need.

How does the mission of AIM at Melanoma Foundation align with Wipe Out Melanoma - California in changing the way communities confront melanoma?

At our foundation, and similar to Wipe Out Melanoma - California, we have several missions. These include prevention and early detection. One way to beat this disease is to try to prevent it before we even get to the point of having to discuss treatment. As a result, we heavily promote prevention with the general public and with patients and their loved ones.

As part of our detection mission, we support diagnosing melanoma in its earliest stages, since we know that at this point its overall prognosis is excellent. AIM at Melanoma strives to help patients have long, healthy, and productive lives. 

To take on these issues, we’re very fortunate to have Melanoma Physician Assistant Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS, as part of our “Ask an Expert” program. We have a lot of patients reach out to us to ask all sorts of questions, including “How do I do a self-exam?” and “How should I choose a dermatologist?” It’s a free service that people can call or reach through our website. Melissa also answers questions through short YouTube videos that cover these concerns and related issues.

We invite you, your loved ones, and other melanoma survivors and patients to visit Do You Have Questions About Melanoma. Here you can connect with Melissa. The web page also provides information on the type of questions that can be answered, background on Melissa, and a link to community resources. However, we cannot provide medical advice or a diagnosis.

We have other excellent resources that support patients in doing self-exams, which should be done in addition to seeing a provider. These resources include a web page with information on “How to perform a skin self-exam,” “What is a skin self-exam?” and “Helpful tips.” 

What are some key questions and concerns that patients should address with their doctor during a full body melanoma skin examination? 

Setting up an appointment with your dermatologist for a melanoma full body skin examination is extremely important. Here are some pointers to be aware of.

1. Make an appointment sooner rather than later for a full body examination. If your provider can’t see you in a timely manner, find another provider to set up an exam, if possible. 

2. Your full body exam should cover from between your toes up through your scalp. This exam is not only for detecting melanoma but also nonmelanoma skin cancer, which can put you at a higher risk for developing melanoma. And, we know that nonmelanoma skin cancer can be deadly if not treated. We have a resource page that discusses full body skin exams.

3. Make sure your doctor has you disrobe and wear a medical gown to ensure a successful full body exam during your appointment.

4.  Point out to your dermatologist any suspicious lesions or moles that you may have discovered while doing a skin self-exam. 

5. Be your own advocate. If you have concerns about your exam not being done properly, get a second opinion from another provider. 

To learn more about what your appointment should look like and what you can do to advocate for your health care provider doing a thorough, full body skin exam, visit AIM online.

How can patients best advocate for themselves if they feel the response from their doctor is insufficient?

At times, unfortunately, we recognize that there may be limitations surrounding healthcare services, and it could be difficult to get an appointment. However, we encourage patients to speak up and do what they can to be seen by a dermatologist within a reasonable amount of time, and, if necessary, find another provider. If you have a lesion that is changing or otherwise suspicious to you, make sure to see a provider as soon as possible.

Even if it’s difficult to get an appointment, consultations are best done in person rather than through telemedicine, which is a growing area of interest. However, there are some aspects about telemedicine that are advantageous. For example, it can be useful during a pandemic, or when patients have a serious illness making mobility very difficult. And, not everyone lives near a dermatologist who really understands melanoma. Ideally, though, in-person appointments are best.

Once you are seen by a provider, if you have concerns about your full body skin exam not being done properly, or if you continue to worry about a lesion that your provider overlooked or dismissed, get a second opinion from another provider. 

What would you like readers to take away from this interview about tackling the mission of AIM at Melanoma Foundation and Wipe Out Melanoma - California?

Everyone can make a difference in prevention and early detection. It's unfortunate that so many people have been diagnosed with melanoma and have died as a result. We cannot bring them back. Even so, we can take what we've learned and gained from each of them. Not everyone has to start a nonprofit foundation to make a difference. However, everyone in their own way can provide value and promote progress, whether it’s advocating for yourself and others to get a full body skin exam, sharing a story, writing an article, or even writing a letter to a legislator about the dangers of tanning devices. We all have the ability to influence. And, look at the work that we've all done to date. I think all of us together are going to do even more and contribute to significant advances in melanoma prevention, detection, and treatment in the not-so-distant future.