Free Dermatology CME

Target Audience: Physicians focusing on Allergy, Dermatology

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Melanoma is a tumor of the melanocytes primarily occurring in the skin. The fifth most common cancer in the U.S., it occurs in over 970,000 people annually and is attributable to over 7,900 deaths each year. The five-year survival rate from diagnosis overall is 80% to 99% for patients with early stages of the disease, depending on tumor thickness. However, in patients in whom the disease that has spread to adjacent lymph nodes or tissues, the five-year survival drops to 71%, and for those with distant metastases (five percent of cases are diagnosed at this stage), the five-year survival is 32%, representing an area of ongoing clinical need.

Target Audience:
HCPs including: medical oncologists and dermatologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in oncology; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with malignant melanoma.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by proliferation of abnormal clonal mastocytes, which accumulate in the skin and/or other organ systems. Mastocytosis, including SM, was reclassified as a distinct disease subtype in 2016, when the World Health Organization (WHO) removed mastocytosis from the myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) group. The WHO defines 5 SM subtypes, ranging from indolent SM, which is associated with mild symptoms and near-normal life expectancy, to mast cell leukemia, which is an aggressive hematologic malignancy associated with median survival of less than 1 year.

Target Audience:
HCPs including: hematology/oncology specialists, allergists, and clinical immunologists, dermatologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in those areas of specialty; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with systemic mastocytosis.

Target Audience: Physicians focusing on Allergy or Dermatology

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions treated by physicians, affecting 40 to 50 million people in the U.S. Although the disease can affect patients at any age, acne occurs most commonly during the adolescent years, with a prevalence as high as 85%. In 20% of cases, the acne is severe, resulting in permanent physical scarring as well as a mental health burden. That burden may include increased prevalence of mood disorders, psychiatric hospitalizations, school absenteeism, unemployment, and suicidality.

Acne is a multifactorial inflammatory disease affecting the hair follicles of the skin. While an understanding of acne pathogenesis is one that is continuously evolving, key pathogenic factors include follicular hyper-keratinization, microbial colonization, sebum production, and complex immune and inflammatory mechanisms. Other research suggests that neuroendocrine regulatory mechanisms, diet, and genetic and factors all may contribute to the multifactorial process of acne pathogenesis. Professional guidelines for the treatment of acne vulgaris in adolescents and adults highlight the roles of topical and systemic pharmacotherapies as well as non-pharmacologic treatment modalities, including lasers and photodynamic therapy. However, in the time since the guidelines were published, newer medications have been approved or entered late stage clinical investigation. Communicating related information to HCPs in a timely manner is a demonstrated need.