Auricular Acupuncture and Skin-Cancer Detection: An Opportunity.

Background

Auricular acupuncture is effective for many patients with pain. Many skin malignancies and precancerous lesions are found on the head and neck. Practitioners of acupuncture are in a unique situation to detect cutaneous malignancy at an early state. Case: An 83-year-old man referred for Battlefield Acupuncture was found to have a scalp lesion suspicious for malignancy as well as several precancerous lesions.

Results

Referral to a dermatologist led to excision of a basal-cell cancer and treatment of actinic keratoses.

Conclusions

Practitioners of auricular acupuncture should be familiar with common skin cancers and precancerous lesions; these practitioners are in a unique situation to detect these common skin lesions.