We’ve written several times about new technologies designed to help dermatologists diagnose skin cancer. In 2017, we wrote about 3Derm System’s 3Derm handheld that primary care physicians use to take photos of marks on a patient’s skin to send to a dermatologist for a teledermatology consult. A 2018 article in JAMA Dermatology reported that teledermatology for skin cancer diagnosis in Australia costs an average of $41.47 U.S. dollars more than conventional referrals but reduces the time to clinical resolution by an average 26 days. Last year researchers at Stevens Institue of Technology Bio-Electromagnetics Laboratory developed a technology to determine whether lesions are benign or cancerous using the same type of shortwave rays used in cellphones and airport security scanners that could reduce unnecessary biopsies by up to 50%.
Copenhagen, Denmark-based Miiskin has developed an app that allows people to monitor their skin for potential moles and track changes to existing marks and moles. You can download the eponymous app to use free for a 30-day trial in iOS or Android versions. After the trial period, the charge is $4.99 billed monthly or $24.95 billed annually. The app has four primary functions: locate marks or moles on your skin the first and following times, capture images with the smartphone camera, compare the images, and remind you to monitor the skin and to follow up with a dermatologist if they have questions or find a troublesome mark.
You can take unlimited photos with Miiskin and save them in the Cloud, with the data protected by a 4-digit PIN. In addition to closeups, side by side views, and skin mapping to highlight moles and marks, the app includes a wide-area view to check for new marks. The app does not diagnose or make assessments, but it empowers you to organize your self-examination. The app includes a knowledge base with images and other information to help users learn about signs to look for and when to contact a dermatologist. The app has been accredited by the Skin Health Alliance.
