Remote Telemedicine Tool Found Highly Accurate in Diagnosing Melanoma
Source: NYU Langone News, November 2024
Collecting images of suspicious-looking skin growths and sending them off-site for specialists to analyze is as accurate in identifying skin cancers as having a dermatologist examine them in person, a new study shows.
According to the study authors, the findings add to evidence that such technology could help to reliably address diagnostic and treatment disparities for lower-income populations with limited access to dermatologists. It may also help dermatologists quickly catch cases of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer that kills more than 8,000 Americans a year.
Their new system, which the researchers call SpotCheck, enables skin cancer specialists to remotely examine skin lesions using an established technique called dermoscopy, in which experts use a camera connected to a specialized magnifying lens to peer beneath the skin’s surface.