A tiny change on your skin can be the loudest early warning you’ll ever get, and it doesn’t always show up where you expect. We sit down with Dr. Celeste Bremer, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at Virginia Oncology Associates, for a clear, practical conversation about what skin cancer can look like and what to do when something on your skin just feels off. If you live near the beach, spent your childhood getting burned, or simply haven’t checked your skin in a while, this one is for you.

We walk through the ABCDE rule for melanoma, then talk about the other half of cases that don’t follow it. Dr. Bremmer explains what “fast-growing but symmetric” nodular melanoma can look like, plus the high-miss areas people rarely check: nail beds, palms, and soles. You’ll hear why acral lentiginous melanoma and subungual melanoma are often mistaken for a callus, fungus, or a simple injury, and why delayed healing matters. We also dig into risk factors, including family history, lots of moles, and being immunocompromised.

From there, we zoom out to what a dermatologist actually does during a head-to-toe skin exam, why biopsy timing is so important, and what happens if melanoma spreads. Dr. Bremer also shares how melanoma treatment has evolved, especially with immunotherapy, maintenance approaches, and clinical trials including vaccine strategies that are pushing survival and quality of life forward in a way we didn’t have 10 to 20 years ago.

If this sparked a little concern, use it as momentum: do a quick self-check, book a dermatologist visit if something is new or changing, and share this conversation with someone who keeps putting off their skin exam. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what skin-check habit you’re starting this week.

Dr. Celeste A. Bremer is board-certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology. She has conducted Hematology/Oncology research, with a special focus on breast tumors. She is also involved in clinical research as a primary investigator on several hematologic disorders.

Dr. Bremer is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, with subspecialties in Hematology and Oncology. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Society of Hematology (ASH). She received the Governor's Recognition Award from ACP's Navy Chapter in 2006 and the Navy Commendation Medal from the Expeditionary Medical Facility in 2007 for superior patient care at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Africa.

Dr. Bremer served on the Board of Directors for Susan G. Komen for four years and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Wings Over Leukemia and Lymphoma and Hampton Roads Cancer Care Foundation, and she is part of the Breast and Colon Cancers Committee with Sentara.

Resources:

NCCN Guidelines: https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/content/PDF/melanoma-patient.pdf

ACS: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer.html

Melanoma Research Foundation: https://melanoma.org/

NCI: https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin

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Cancer Care Connections is the official podcast of Virginia Oncology Associates. For more information, visit us at VirginiaCancer.com. or find us on Facebook or Instagram at Virginia Oncology Associates.