A mobile app for skin cancer screening

Your iPhone and iPad can now do much more. Researchers have revolutionized the iPhone and iPad to detect cancer. A new app called UMSkinCheck, designed for iPhone and iPad, will screen skin cancers by reminding users to compare unusual growths on their skin with actual photos provided by the app. The app guides users through a series of 23 photos, covering the body from head to toe. Photos are stored within the app and serve as a baseline for future comparisons. The app will create a reminder to repeat a skin self-exam on a regular basis. If a mole appears to be changing or growing, the photos can then be shared with a dermatologist to help determine whether a biopsy is necessary.

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Doctors recommend skin self examinations in order to detect skin cancer at the earlier stages when they can be treated with less invasive and be more successful. People who have fair skin, who have had sunburns in the past or use tanning beds should be especially careful. People with a family history of melanoma are considered hig-risk and this app is aimed at their welfare. Whole body photography is a well established resource for following patients at risk for melanoma. This app aims at making whold body photography more affordable and enable people to do it in the privacy of their homes. More than two million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, and some 50,000 will be diagnosed with melanoma. Regular skin checks can help people discover melanoma in its earliest stages.

Source: IANS