6 New Ways To Diagnose Skin Cancer
Had a summer of too much sun and not enough sunscreen? It's probably time to make a trip to the dermatologist's office for a skin cancer screening. The good news is, the experience probably won't be as painful as you're expecting.
While biopsies are still considered the gold standard for determining whether a suspicious-looking mole is cancerous, advances in technology and medicine are starting to change the landscape of dermatologic diagnostics. Thanks to the mainstreaming of devices in the U.S. like the dermatoscope, a handheld device akin to a magnifying glass that helps doctors more accurately assess moles, experts say fewer people are undergoing unnecessary, scar-inducing excisions.
These noninvasive techniques soon could have some competition. In the past decade in particular, researchers have been looking for new, more accurate ways to peer beneath the surface of the skin to determine which moles need to be removed and which ones can stay put. Some of the techniques being studied right now employ light, scent and even tape to inform a diagnosis. Computer software that may be able to help dermatologists diagnose melanoma is also close to hitting the market.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/08/21/f-forbes-skincancer.html
