New scanner claims to detect skin cancer as Australians are urged to get regular checks

A game-changing new test could find skin cancer in under a minute, as Aussies are being urged to see their doctor with studies showing some apps miss cancerous lesions.

EXCLUSIVE

AN app that claims to detect the most common signs of skin cancer in less than a minute has been registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

While it does not provide a diagnosis, it can help prompt people to visit a doctor to get their skin checked.

SkinVision uses an artificial intelligence based algorithm to determine whether spots on the skin could be cancerous but research has found many apps miss cancers.

There are more than 30 skin cancer detection apps on the market but Melbourne GP Dr Dipankar Chakraborty said he used this one because spots that are flagged as problematic are reviewed by a dermatologist within 48 hours.

“I’ve seen the reports come in from the dermatologist saying yes we confirm the diagnosis and request you to go and see your doctor in the next six weeks or three weeks, or, the dermatologist may say no this looks normal so disregard the AI findings,” Dr Chakraborty said.

Melbourne mum Robyn Musolino used the SkinVision app to check her skin after it was offered for free by her health fund. It detected a skin cancer on her shoulder she had to have removed.

Her basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was one of the most common but least dangerous types of skin cancer.

Robyn and Musolino and her daughter Alysha looked at a new skin cancer app that can detect the most common signs of skin cancer with up to 95 per cent accuracy in less than a minute. Picture: Rob Leeson.

The 50-year-old school administrator said she been noticing a little mark on her shoulder for six months but kept forgetting to have it checked.

When the spot was identified as high risk by the app it recommended she have checked by professional as soon as possible.

“I guess it kind of gave me that little kick that I had needed to get myself off to my GP,” she said.

Her doctor was sceptical but did a biopsy and sent it off for testing.

“And when I came back into the room to see him the following week, he kind of looked at me and he said, ‘well, it was spot on and he said I tell you what I’m really, really impressed’,” she said.

While it does not provide a diagnosis the app can help people decide whether to visit a doctor to get their skin checked. Picture: Supplied

The service is offered free to some health fund members but costs around $90 a year or around $12 for a one off check of a suspicious spot.

To carry out a check the patient chooses a location on the body map in the app then uses the SkinVision Smart Check Camera to check their skin and get instant risk assessments.

“If there’s a tool which helps me to make better diagnosis, better outcomes for the patient, I would welcome it with open arms,” Dr Chakraboty said.

Cancer Council CEO Tanya Buchanan said the current evidence is that the best thing people can do is actually to know their skin.

“If you have any concerns, you need to check them with your doctor even if you’ve used an app and we shouldn’t be substituting apps for clinical diagnosis,” she said.

In 2020 the medicines watchdog the TGA reviewed app based medical technologies and reported that studies had found one in five patients under the age of 50 have used a smartphone to help diagnose a skin problem.

The studies showed that the diagnostic performance of apps was inferior to in person consultations with one study showing that three out of four applications incorrectly classified 30 per cent or more melanomas as low-risk lesions, the TGA report said.

Originally published as New scanner claims to detect skin cancer as Australians are urged to get regular checks