Dr. Papadopoulos Interviewed on Atlanta & Co by Christine Pullara
Transcription of Atlanta and Company video interview with Dr. Papadopoulos:
Good morning everyone welcome back to Atlanta and Company. Are you looking for a doctor here in the Atlanta area? Be sure to pick up the newest edition of Atlanta Magazine, the July issue features the top physicians in over 50 specialties. Here to tell us more about what’s inside, president and publisher of Atlanta Magazine, Sean McGinnis (sp?) and featured in the issue, D.J. Papadopoulos from MetroDerm. Welcome doctor. “Thank you very much, thanks for having me,” said Dr. Papadopoulos.
“Of course and good to see you as always Sean.”
Sean McGinnis from Atlanta Magazine
“Good to see you again Christine, how are you?.” ”I am doing great before we actually get to doctor and learn more about MetroDerm. “Tell everyone about the issue and why this is so important.”
“So this is something we have been doing for years, decades actually and proof in the results, its one of our most popular issues by far so this is our annual Top Doctors issue. This is a peer-to-peer survey so this is not a popularity contest among consumers but its doctors actually voting on other doctors who they would recommend as you mentioned in over 50 different specialty areas. Seven hundred plus doctors are listed in the issue plus some great profile pieces. We’ve got an Emory doc featured, we call him our version of Dr. House, kind of the sleuth of Emory Medicine.
Christine said, “right super sleuth.”
Sean said, “another great human interest story about a doctor, an Orthopedic Surgeon, who has three daughters, triplets, who all followed in his footsteps and are in his practice now.“
Christine said, “incredible.”
Sean said, “a great resource, with Atlanta growing as it is, we’re seeing an influx of new residents any given time so it’s a great resource that people like to hold on to throughout the year.”
Dr. Papadopoulos Talks with Christine Pullara
Christine said, “absolutely and doctor you’re featured, tell me more about MetroDerm and what you do there.”
Dr. Papadopoulos answered, “Metroderm is a large Dermatology/Plastic Surgical Practice. We have general dermatologists, we have dermatopathologists, we have three MOHS Surgeons, a plastic surgeon, a vascular surgeon actually is part of our group as well. We’ve been in existence since 2003, this is our fifteenth year and we have four locations in the Metro Atlanta area and see lots and lots of patients.
Christine Pullara, the host of Atlanta and Company, said, “and this is such an important time of year, we talk about sun protection everyone knows but let’s kind of get back to the basics if you would for us, skin cancers, we know there are several different types. Can you walk us through them from the most benign to the more serious Melanoma.
From Dr. Papadopoulos, “sure, so the three basic types of skin cancers are Basal Cell Carcinoma, which is by far the most common of all skin cancers, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, which is the second most common skin cancer tends to occur in people that are older with significant sun exposure, and the worst of the three is Melanoma which accounts for about nine to nine and a half thousand deaths per year in the United States. If you look at the incidents of all skin cancers they have literally from the seventies until today gone dramatically have risen and especially Melanoma. We in the seventies had rates of about five per hundred thousand people. We are now at 23 per hundred thousand people in the span of forty years.”
Christine responded, “wow so scary. I know my husband loves to play his golf on the weekends and I am always don’t forget your sunscreen. People sometimes, you know, you just put it on quickly, you forget your ears, the back of your neck. It really is so important to use your SPF, even when it is a cloudy day, right? Just simple tips like that.
From Dr. Papadopoulos, “absolutely I mean I think it is really important to use sunscreen, but it isn’t the only thing. I think one of the things that we preach to people especially if they are at high risk is sun avoidance and really wearing a hat, protecting themselves, staying in the shade, avoiding the sun. You know sometimes by using sunscreen people have the false sense of security that I am going to use my sunscreen and I am going to just basically be out in the sun for as long as I want, and I don’t think people should do that. I think it’s important to exercise many other precautions as well.”
Christine responded, “right and then a lot of people may wonder common causes of premature aging, not just the sun what else?”
From Dr. Papadopoulos, “well what we tell people, you’re here, especially for women in particular, we tell them you’re here because I am checking you for skin cancer. But from a cosmetic standpoint, you’re really hurting yourself if you are out in unadulterated sun without protection. If you’re fair and are doing that, you’re really hurting yourself and you’re going to be spending a lot of money trying to correct those things in the future from an aesthetic standpoint.”
Christine said, “absolutely its funny how far we have come, I can look back at pictures in the seventies, and like who’s that child that looks like a tomato and it’s me. We weren’t protecting ourselves back then. So now to have to reverse it, what are some of the procedures in your office that you recommend?”
There are tons of procedures. First and foremost is just sun avoidance. The second is the use of topical retinoids have really helped a great deal, Then there are other procedures like chemical peels, and devices that have been used that I think sometimes are over promoted but I also feel that they have a place. then if you want an extreme therapeutic option it would be face lifting and interventional type of work.
Atlanta and Company comes on NBC daily at 11 am to noon. Christine Pullara certainly learned a lot from Dr. Papadopoulos during this interview about skin cancer and how to avoid getting it.