It is well known that skin cancer rates are rising: as many as 1 in 5 Americans are diagnosed with a form of skin cancer in their lifetime.1 Although the survival rate for melanoma is greater than 98% for cases detected in its early stages, this drops to less than 16% if left undiagnosed. Clearly, the early detection of skin cancer is essential to optimized patient care. However this problem needs to be addressed by patients and medical professionals alike.
There have been great efforts to educate the general public about the dangers of tanning, the importance of sunscreen, and even how to identify suspicious moles. In fact, patients are becoming equipped with technologies like patient-oriented dermoscopes and UV patches to help them monitor their skin health with greater independence.2 The question becomes: What tools do physicians have to combat these rising rates?
The Most Valuable Skin Cancer Imaging ToolThe first tool that likely comes to mind is the dermoscope, with good reason. Due to the enhanced magnification, studies demonstrate that dermoscopy diagnoses are up to 35% more accurate than clinical diagnoses and that "dermoscopy can detect 92% of melanomas immediately". 3 This means that skin cancer specialists are able to provide accurate diagnoses, promote the early detection of skin cancer to optimize patient care.
How Can The Dermatoscope Be Improved?Although dermoscopes already provide a massive service to dermatologists, the rising rates of skin cancer probes the question of what can be done to provide advanced dermoscopy. To name a few, affordability, mobility, interoperability are all essential components for ensuring that modern dermatoscopes provide a new convenience that was never available previously.
For example, dermatoscopes like MoleScope II provide a lower cost than the vast majority of dermoscopes, polarized lighting, and interchangeable non-contact & contact imaging caps while offering medical-grade quality imaging.
Additionally, the device is designed to work seamlessly with DermEngine, an intelligent dermatology software for medical professionals that provides high-quality dermoscopy, precise and efficient documentation and a seamless, secure communication solution for busy clinical workflows. When utilized with a dermoscope, images can be automatically synced to digital dermoscopy software, capture high quality images, keep them organized, and keep a detailed profile of their patients' lesion history.
ConclusionAlthough the dermatoscope is not a new tool, it continues to provide new and advanced features for the continued improvement of patient care. Features like dermatology system interoperability and polarized lighting with an affordable price allows the device to continue being an essential part of any physician's office.
-The MetaOptima Team
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