Mass General Dermatology Local and National News Media

Read the latest news about Mass General Hospital Dermatology discoveries, prevention tips, and innovative breakthroughs in cosmetic dermatology.

2024 Coverage

11/7/2024: Evidence suggests tanning bed access and usage is driving higher rates of melanoma in specific regions
Medical Xpress: Features: David E. Fisher, MD, PhD

"Melanoma is one of the relatively few human cancers for which a common, preventable cause is well documented: UV radiation. This study helps clarify the linkage between tanning beds and melanoma and helps us focus on how policies aimed at limiting tanning bed use may hopefully further diminish melanoma risk." - Dr. David E. Fisher, MGH

10/28/2024: US Veterans May Face Nearly Triple the Risk for Skin Cancer
Medscape: Features: Sepideh Ashrafzadeh, MD

“US veterans are known to have increased risk of cancers and cancer morbidity compared to the general US population,” one of the study authors, Sepideh Ashrafzadeh, MD, a third-year dermatology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, told Medscape Medical News following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where the results were presented.

9/19/2024: Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD: TIL Therapy and Neoadjuvant Treatment for Pigmented Lesions
Dermatology Times: Features: Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD

“For dermatologists specifically…there are a couple areas that are emerging that are incredibly exciting and again, rapidly moving. For instance, there have been recent trials looking at high-risk primaries, those melanomas that are really thick, really large…Now, there's some evidence that even in the absence of having any melanoma in the lymph nodes after a sentinel biopsy, and having no melanoma on any of the radiological workup, a high-risk melanoma would benefit from treatment with systemic agents. So if you had a patient who came in with a 4-, 5-, 6-millimeter melanoma, you do a central biopsy. It's negative. After surgical removal of that melanoma, that patient should be referred to a medical oncologist for consideration, say, for immune checkpoint inhibition. So that's something that has really emerged in the past couple years…Traditionally, I think for dermatologists and providers such as dermatologic PAs and NPs, generally removing the melanoma and sort of watching the patient has been our call, but now there's really good evidence, again, that some of those patients would benefit from adjuvant treatment.”

8/21/24: Laser Treatment of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Gaining Ground
Medscape: Features: Mathew Avram, MD

In a retrospective cohort study, Mathew Avram, MD, JD, and colleagues reviewed patients with a history of facial keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) who were treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston between 2005 and 2021. Avram said that when he and his colleagues controlled for age, gender, and skin type, controls were 2.65 times more likely to develop new facial KC compared with those treated with NAFL (P = .0169). "This enhanced effect was seen with the 1550-nm device compared with the 1927-nm device," Avram said. "The study shows us that 1550-nm/1927-nm NAFL may have a protective effect for patients with a history of KC, but the role of each wavelength is to be determined. We also need a prospective, controlled study to verify the results."

8/5/2024: Insurance shortfalls curb pigmentary disorder treatment, often in skin of color
Healio: Features: Nicholas Theodosakis, MD, PhD

Medicaid coverage for tretinoin is often granted for acne vulgaris but not pigmentary disorders, which disproportionately affect patients with skin of color, according to a study. Healio spoke with a dermatologist about these findings. “A lot of dermatologists are already aware that if they try to prescribe tretinoin for pigmentary disorders, particularly for patients on public health care, it likely won’t get covered,” Nicholas Theodosakis, MD, PhD, instructor in dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, told Healio. “As a result, these patients, who for the most part don’t have very high incomes, are forced to pay out of pocket.”

7/29/2024: Their acne medications set off a rare chain reaction that killed them
The Washington Post: Features: Steven Chen, MD, MPH, MHPE

Experts agree that DRESS can fly under the radar—until it’s too late.

“There have definitely been cases where the diagnosis was missed,” says Steven Chen, who as director of inpatient dermatology consultation at Massachusetts General Hospital says his team sees patients referred to them with DRESS once every couple of weeks. He recalls one patient who said she had been hospitalized elsewhere for a “virus” after taking medication for acne. “She was one of the lucky ones,” Chen says. “She stopped the medication, and it went away on its own.” “Most doctors should have learned about DRESS in medical school, but it can easily be overlooked if you’re not thinking about it frequently, especially since it’s relatively rare,” Chen adds. “It can get lost in the mix with all the other facts and information you are supposed to master.”

7/22/2024: How a Warming Climate Wears on the Skin
Harvard Medicine: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

Last summer, as smoke from wildfires in Quebec drifted hundreds of miles to the south, dermatologist Arianne Shadi Kourosh noticed an unusual pattern in her practice at Massachusetts General Hospital: a spike in the number of patients with eczema and dermatitis flares. “These patients were having bad flares at an unseasonable time of year,” says Kourosh, an HMS associate professor of dermatology at Mass General. “I listened and started to hear a pattern. Then I thought about how to study it.” Kourosh and colleagues wondered if the uptick could be related to the smoke, which had formed a thick haze over Boston and other cities in the northeastern U.S. Comparing dermatology clinic visits for dermatitis and eczema in the Boston area with carbon monoxide concentrations over several years, they connected the dots. “We confirmed that it’s important to protect the skin when you’re in range of airborne pollution from wildfires and retardants,” Kourosh says, “and we’re only going to see more of these fires as our planet warms.”

7/19/2024: What Is “Papular” Eczema?
Health Central: Features: Jeff Yu, MD

“Eczema, a.k.a. atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin condition that causes patches of red, dry, and flaky skin that can trigger maddening itching and sometimes soreness and pain, too—the result of a rogue inflammatory response attacking your skin, which happens to be the largest organ in your body. Its symptoms can vary in both appearance and severity among different people and ethnic groups, per the National Eczema Association(NEA). And sometimes, the way people with eczema describe their condition varies, too. Take the term “papular” eczema. Some info-seekers out there who rely too much on Dr. Google might think this is a legit (and unique) type of atopic dermatitis—but our expert dermatologists are here to set the record straight.”

7/16/2024: Q&A: Patterns and prognostications in immune-related adverse events from immunotherapy treatment
Medical Xpress: Features: Yevgeniy Semenov, MD, MA
More coverage: Science Magazine

“Our approach comprehensively evaluated occurrence patterns of immune-related adverse events, from those affecting single organs to those involving two or more organs. In pairwise analyses, we observed that most immune-related adverse events tend to co-occur. For example, ocular immune-related adverse events consistently co-occurred with cutaneous and gastrointestinal immune-related adverse events, a pattern that reflects the biological similarity of the ocular, cutaneous, and gastrointestinal mucosa…These findings validate previous studies identifying improved overall survival among recipients of immune checkpoint inhibitors who experience cutaneous and endocrine immune-related adverse events.”

7/3/2024: Ouch! Experiencing sunburn? Dermatologists and editors love these soothing products
TODAY: Features: Bobby Y. Reddy, MD

“Summer is quickly approaching and everyone is restocking their sunscreen supply in the hopes of avoiding a dreaded sunburn (though you really should be wearing it every single day, according to dermatologists). Luckily, sunburn-soothing products exist and can help soothe skin post-burn. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, some people are more prone to sunburns but that doesn't mean others aren't susceptible. 'Anyone can get burned,' the site states.”

6/30/2024: Climate Change Intensifies Skin Damage Risks
One Green Planet: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

“As temperatures rise due to global warming, skin care becomes significantly more challenging. The increased frequency of hot spells, along with heightened exposure to pollutants from wildfires, are aggravating skin conditions, leading to premature aging signs such as wrinkles, discoloration, and sun spots. The risks extend to more severe issues like skin cancer, particularly affecting vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those living in high-pollution areas.”

6/27/2024: Love Epsom salt baths? Here's how they affect your body, according to science
National Geographic: Features: Nicholas Theodosakis, MD, PhD

“For centuries people have soaked in Epsom salt baths to ease aching muscles and relieve stress. But it may be more popular than ever these days with people dumping scoops of the salt into their tubs and splashing photos of it all over social media. Epsom salt is affordable, widely available, and big business. Estimates value the global market at several billion dollars a year—and growing rapidly. But when it comes to the science behind Epsom salt’s purported health benefits, there are more questions than answers.”

6/26/2024: Study Addresses Litigation Related to Cutaneous Energy-based Based Device Treatments
MDedge: Features: Mathew M. Avram, MD, JD

“In a cross-sectional study of malpractice and medical liability claims for cutaneous energy-based device procedures, the most litigated health professionals were plastic surgeons, and the most commonly affected anatomical sites were the face, head, and/or neck. “The utilization of laser and energy-based devices (LEBD) has grown substantially,” corresponding author Scott Stratman, MD, MPH, and coauthors wrote in their study, which was published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. “This has led to a rise in practitioners, both physicians and nonphysicians, who may lack the requisite training in LEBD procedures. Subsequently, procedures performed by these untrained practitioners have resulted in more lawsuits related to patient complications. As the demand for LEBD procedures and the number of practitioners performing these procedures increase, it remains paramount to characterize the trends of malpractice cases involving these procedures.”

6/13/2024: 7 signs your mystery rash is something more serious
Yahoo! Lifestyle: Features: Daniela Kroshinsky, MD, MPH

“While most rashes do not indicate anything fatal, feeling sick in addition should prompt you to see a doctor or other health care professional, Dr. Daniela Kroshinsky, director of inpatient and pediatric dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells TODAY.com. That's because rashes can be caused by serious medical problems, especially autoimmune conditions or Lyme disease, Dr. Laura Ferris, professor of dermatology at University of Pittsburgh, tells TODAY.com — although you'll probably find that it was caused something much less serious.”

4/20/2024: Dermatologist speaks out on unusual spike in clinic visits following wildfires 300 miles away: 'A horrendous quality of life'
The Cool Down: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

"A lot of these components of airborne pollution are irritants to the skin," Kourosh told Wired. "People who have eczema have a weakened, more vulnerable skin barrier, and so the pollutants penetrate deeper and trigger the immune system."

4/11/2024: What’s the Difference Between Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema?
Everyday Health: Features: JiaDe (Jeff) Yu, MD

“Eczema is a colloquial and nonspecific umbrella term,” says JiaDe (Jeff) Yu, MD, a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

3/2/2024: AMA says Medicare payment cuts to impact patient care
WBUR: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

"There are a lot of concerns that these Medicare cuts are going to cause additional strain on the already strained healthcare system. Right now patients are facing long wait times throughout the country throughout the healthcare system... Strains will take the form of longer wait times. Right now we have a real access problem in terms of patients having to wait months to see their doctors, whether that's their primary care doctor or their specialist dermatologist like me... because people can't access their doctors they're going to the ER instead... and at MGH for example our ER's have been capacity."

2/8/2024: How pollution from Canada's wildfires is damaging our skin
WBUR: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

Dermatologist Shadi Kourosh, director of the Dermatology Division of Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital noticed something else: a sharp increase in the number of skin conditions she and her colleagues were treating. Those observations inspired Kourosh to dig deeper. Her study was published in the online journal Dermatology and Therapy. She joins host Robin Young to discuss the impact of acute pollution on skin and health.

01/10/2024: Air Pollution Is Ruining Your Skin
WIRED: Features: Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH

In June last year, a series of devastating wildfires tore through the Canadian province of Quebec, sending huge plumes of acrid smoke drifting across North America. Three hundred miles away in Boston, dermatologist Shadi Kourosh noticed something strange. “We had an unusual spike in dermatology visits,” says Kourosh, who is director of community health in the dermatology department at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.