Cancer Can Wait; Botox Doesn't

Patients have a better chance of seeing their dermatologists if they want Botox than if they want a potentially cancerous mole examined, a new study finds. Researchers, posing as patients in a dozen cities, faced a typical wait of eight days for cosmetic procedures and 26 days to test a suspicious mole that could signal skin cancer.

Some doctors blame the figures on the increased demand for medical dermatologists, the NY Times says, especially as the public becomes more aware of diseases like melanoma and psoriasis. A wider array of doctors, including plastic surgeons and internists, offer botox shots. “If dermatologists stopped providing cosmetic care, it would not necessarily have an impact on medical dermatology patients,” one doctor guessed. (More Botox stories.)