Doctors are using new technologies to detect Melanoma, increasing patients chances of catching the disease before it has the opportunity to spread:
Dermoscopy
- hand-held microscopes
- used to find features that would not be present just by looking at the mole
- both magnifies and illuminates the mole, helping doctors increase chances of catching Melanoma
- if the doctor cannot determine a diagnosis, a biopsy is performed
Full-body photography
- used for high risk Melanoma patients (those with many moles, have family history of Melanoma, many moles of different sizes, shapes and colors)
- photographs are used to watch moles change over time
Mole mapping
- moles are digitized using dermoscopy cameras
- the resulting pictures are transformed to see what the mole would be like in 3 months and again at 6 months
- helps compare different skin areas
- beneficial for those with many atypical moles
Reflectance confocal microscopy
- takes images at a cellular level resolution, showing the top layer and deepest layers of the skin
- a laser light focuses on a certain spot on the skin, and then the entire level of skin in that area gets scanned
- non invasive diagnosis
Gene profiling
- "measures the activity of thousands of genes simultaneously to create an overall impression of how cells function."
- used to find an change in genes to find a particular classifier for Melanoma
These technologies help not only detect Melanoma in earlier stages, but it will also help save more patients lives. For a further description of each detection method, check out recent Melanoma technologies. Also check out the ABCDs of how to detect a mole on yourself.
I think these technologies are truly interesting! I think Gene Profiling is the most innovative approach to Melanoma detection. I was wondering what types of costs are associated with Gene profiling for the average patient. Out of all of these technologies it seems like Gene Profiling would be the most expensive yet most effective as computers could model your gene changes and find patterns in the data that the other technologies listed above might not necessarily catch.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this may sound like a dumb question but since we live in Arizona, even if we don't have a family history of Melanoma, are we at higher risk for skin cancer and should we be getting our skin checked regularly or only if we start noticing changes?
I will look up what the gene profiling would cost. I am sure that it would depend upon the type of insurance you have, if you even have insurance.
ReplyDeleteIt would really depend upon your skin type. Those with a fair complexion (light hair, light eyes, light skin) are at a higher risk. If you see a mole and are concerned, I would get it checked out. If you notice that one has been growing or changes colors, then definitely get it checked out. What I have noticed is that the ones that I keep an eye are are always the ones that seem to be ok. It's the ones that are much smaller that are hard to track. A good rule of thumb to go by is to get checked once a year, especially since we live in the valley of the sun.