PRESIDENT'S LESION STRESSES NEED FOR CHECKUPS

A cancerous growth removed from Bill Clinton's back with a prognosis that no further problems will develop should prove to everyone that periodic medical examinations can go a long way in preserving one's good health.

The flat lesion on the former president's back was discovered during a Jan. 12 physical and was immediately removed.

Pathology results confirmed the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, a relatively common form of skin cancer caused by the sun that occurs in 800,000 to 1 million Americans each year.

It is the most curable form of skin cancer, and doctors almost always can remove it with a shallow incision.

Something like this happening to the president of the United States prompts substantial public interest, and it helps make Americans aware of the need to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to health concerns.