Duke University is testing a promising new Melanoma detection laser - which, for the first time, gives scientists the ability to identify substantial chemical differences between cancerous and healthy skin tissues and prevent unnecessary biopsies, by identifying a pigment more prominent in cancerous moles. As of now it is being tested on biopsied tissue samples, but may eventually be an effective pre-biopsy tool as well.

There are two issues at play here.  The first is the need for improved detection of Melanoma.  As we’ve noted here repeatedly, the MoleSafe technique takes skin cancer  assessments and screenings to the next level, well beyond the “naked eye exam,” which, as I described again in my last post, is a good precursory practice between more rigorous screenings but is out-dated when used as the exclusive approach.  The second issue is that there is still the challenge in interpreting the results of biopsies of suspicious moles, no matter how they are discovered.

As the Duke article says,

Doctors typically use a light and a magnifying glass or tissue biopsy, where a pathologist removes suspicious skin cells and looks at them under a microscope, to spot signs of disease. But using a lens and a light is a “17th century” technique that is only 85 percent accurate, at best, and tissue biopsy is not much more reliable…

In 14 percent of biopsy diagnoses, pathologists would disagree on whether or not the sampled cells were cancerous, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. The statistic implies that two pathologists would have opposing diagnoses on 214,000 to 643,000 melanoma cases each year.

Since, as a result, many doctors will follow the “when in doubt, cut it out” philosophy, this new laser holds the promise of maximizing accurate diagnoses, and down the road perhaps being a promising pre-biopsy screening tool as well.

———-

In other screening news, Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek reported on a story posted in the Archives of Dermatology on the increased skin self-exams conducted by kidney transplant patients from good old-fashioned education and information. Compliance in self-exams jumped to 89% among those in the study group, resulting in a dozen patients actually spotting an area of concern and making an appointment with their dermatologist.

The patients in the intervention group were given printed educational materials to promote skin self-examination. The patients in the control group did not receive the educational materials. Follow-up revealed that patients in the intervention group were much more likely to perform skin self-examinations than those in the control group — 89 percent vs. 22 percent.

This just underscores the ongoing need for education and awareness.  We hope more physicians will take the time to educate ALL patients – high risk or not.