Teledermoscopy Accurate for Detecting Skin Cancers
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 2024 -- Teledermoscopy has high accuracy for detecting skin cancers, according to a research letter published online Nov. 9 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Jenne P. Ingrassia, from New York Medical College in Valhalla, and colleagues conducted a prospective diagnostic accuracy study to compare the accuracy of telemedicine-based skin cancer detection to in-person evaluations. In addition, off-label use of Nevisense, a device to assess melanocytic skin lesions suspicious for melanoma for use in dermatologists' offices, was evaluated for improving accuracy of teledermoscopy. A total of 147 participants with 375 self-identified skin lesions were assessed.
The researchers found that 97 percent of the skin lesions were benign. The most common diagnoses were seborrheic keratosis, common melanocytic nevus, solar lentigo, other, and hemangioma (38, 19, 10, 8, and 4 percent, respectively). Overall, 13 participants had a malignant neoplasm, with two melanomas. Eleven of 13 skin cancers were detected in face-to-face examination, with accuracy of 93 percent. The TeleTeam detected 11/13 skin cancers with clinical photos and dermoscopy alone (accuracy of 91 percent). The TeleTeam detected 12/13 skin cancers with Nevisense, but due to lower specificity, a high prevalence of benign lesions, and the rarity of atypical nevi and early-stage melanomas, accuracy decreased to 83 percent. Overall, 89 percent of participants who completed a postintervention questionnaire agreed or strongly agreed that they would feel more at ease having their worrisome spot examined by a teledermatologist versus not examined.
"Our results support the potential utility of teledermoscopy to safely triage patient- and primary-care clinician-identified skin lesions for in-person evaluation," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Read this next
Higher Tattoo Exposure Linked to Reduced Melanoma Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2025 -- Higher tattoo exposure may be associated with reduced melanoma risk, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer...
Antithymocyte Globulin Cuts Loss of β-Cell Function in Type 1 Diabetes
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2025 -- Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) 2.5 and 0.5 mg/kg reduces loss of β-cell function in young people with recent-onset type 1 diabetes, according to a...
Loss of Therapeutic Benefit Seen After Stopping Baricitinib in Type 1 Diabetes
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2025 -- Two-year follow-up shows a loss of therapeutic benefit when baricitinib treatment is stopped in type 1 diabetes (T1D), according to a study presented at...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.