An app called DermoScreen and a $500 dermoscope attached to the iPhone’s camera, along with a magnifying lens and a light are currently being tested by the University of Houston to detect skin cancer.
The app takes a photo of any suspicious mole or lesion in a patient, and after a few seconds will confirm if the skin condition is likely cancerous or not.
The app is currently being evaluated for further testing at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with the hopes of making this a more practical and less painful medical tool for doctors and patients.
According to Dr. Ana Ciurea, assistant professor of dermatology at MD Anderson “Our research with Dr. Zouridakis on his promising iPhone app will focus on evaluating its use for risk assessment and as a screening tool for early detection of melanomas,”
“We are in early stages of planning and approval for this project, but such an application, if validated, has the potential for widespread use to ultimately improve patient care.”
University of Houston
