Spot Skin Cancer With Your Smartphone With These 3 Apps
Summer means swimsuits and sunburns, and to prevent that painful peeling and the skin damage accompanying it, sunscreen and/or UV-blocking clothing is absolutely essential. Even if you're not going to be outside for long, cancer-causing skin damage can still occur, and in fact, it can even occur inside if your windows don't have a UV-blocking film.
Skin cancer accounts for more diagnoses each year than all other cancers, but the good news is that early detection could be the difference between a simple mole removal or malignant cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. Documenting suspicious marks and moles is important, and the top-notch cameras on our favorite smartphones today make it easy as pie to take them, back them up, and then send them on to your dermatologist.
A handful of smartphone apps and devices claim to aid early detection and keep you on track with regular self-exams. These apps can be helpful, but they do have limitations, so it's important to follow conventional wisdom to protect yourself.
Here's what you need to know about using your smartphone to detect skin cancer.
Read more: What SPF Should You Really Use? Here's What a Dermatologist Says
Know the facts about skin cancer
Every year, doctors diagnose more than 4 million cases of nonmelanoma (including basal and squamous cell) skin cancers in the US, and the number of melanoma deaths is expected to increase by 4.4 percent in 2023, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.
Basal and squamous cell carcinomas, which develop on the outer layers of the skin, are more common and usually less harmful than melanoma.
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer because it more easily spreads to other bodily systems, becoming metastatic melanoma, and can impact any organ in the body. It originates in the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, called melanocytes. It's an aggressive form of cancer and accounts for nearly 10,000 deaths each year. Even with early detection, it can be fatal.
Symptoms of all types of skin cancers include:
Change in the size or color of a mole or other spot on the skin
A new growth on the skin
Odd skin sensations, such as persistent itchiness or tenderness
Spread of pigmentation outside the border of a mole
Skin cancer may develop due to a variety of factors, including genetics and exposure to toxic chemicals, but the clearest connection is that of skin cancer and UV exposure.
How your phone can help you spot skin cancer
Telemedicine is a growing field, and skin care is not to be left out: Over the last several years, a handful of skin cancer detection apps have popped up, allowing you to analyze your skin with your smartphone and artificial intelligence algorithms.
Some send photos to a dermatologist, some provide instant feedback while others offer helpful reminders about self-checking your skin and scheduling a doctor's appointment.
Here are a few you can download on iOS and Android.
Miiskin uses hi-res digital photography to capture magnified photos of moles on your skin.
Miiskin
Miiskin
Miiskin uses mole mapping to analyze your skin. Dermatologists perform mole maps as part of a clinical full-body skin exam, using digital dermoscopy (magnified digital photography) to catch suspicious lesions they may not catch with their own eyes.
Because they're so high-definition, dermoscopy photos provide much more information than normal digital photos. The developers behind Miiskin wanted to offer a version of this technology to consumers, so they built an app that takes magnified photos of large areas of your skin, for example, your entire leg. According to the website, anyone with an iPhone with iOS 11 and newer or a phone running Android 4.4 and newer can use Miiskin.
The app stores your photos separate from your smartphone library and allows you to compare moles over time, which is helpful in detecting changes.
Find it: iOS | Android
MoleScope
With a clip-on camera, MoleScope uses the ABCD method to complete a risk assessment of your moles.
MoleScope
MoleScope uses magnified images to help people determine whether they should see a dermatologist to get their skin checked.
A product of MetaOptima (a supplier of clinical dermatology technology) MoleScope is a device that attaches to your smartphone and sends photos to a dermatologist for an online checkup.
Though MoleScope itself won't analyze or diagnose your moles, you can use the ABCD guide in the app to keep tabs on any suspicious moles: The app helps you document your moles with photos and sends them to a dermatologist, who can assess them using the ABCD method:
Asymmetry: the shape of one half doesn't match the other
the shape of one half doesn't match the other Border: edges are bumpy, ragged or blurred
edges are bumpy, ragged or blurred Color: uneven shades of brown, black and tan; odd colors such as red or blue
uneven shades of brown, black and tan; odd colors such as red or blue Diameter: a change in size greater than 6 mm
Unlike Miiskin, you can only take photos of one mole or small areas with a few moles, rather than large areas like your entire chest or back.
Find it: iOS | Android
SkinVision
SkinVision claims to aid early detection of melanoma. The app uses deep learning to analyze photos of your skin and aid in the early detection of skin cancer. The photos are processed through a machine-learning algorithm that filters image layers based on simple, complex, and more abstract functions and patterns through a technology called convolutional neural network (CNN). SkinVision uses it to check small areas of your skin and come back with a high- or low-risk assessment of that area in less than a minute.
SkinVision is backed by a scientific board of dermatologists, but Dr. Daniel Friedmann, a dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas, told CNET that even an app with prominent support of scientists has limitations.
"I would not recommend that patients avoid these apps, but I would approach their results with cautious skepticism," Dr. Friedmann said, "and counsel patients that suspicious lesions are best evaluated in-office."
Find it: iOS
SkinVision uses a machine-learning algorithm to analyze spots on the skin.
SkinVision
Read more: 5 Facial Products You'll Want This Summer to Protect Your Skin
Research is promising, but accuracy isn't quite there
Of all the apps discussed here, SkinVision seems to have the most research behind it.
A 2014 study on an older version of SkinVision reported 81% accuracy in detecting melanoma, which at the time researchers said was "insufficient to detect melanoma accurately."
However, a more recent study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology determined that SkinVision can detect 95% of skin cancer cases. It's encouraging to see the company continue to work on app accuracy, as early detection of skin cancer is the number-one way to achieve successful treatment.
In another study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, analyzed four smartphone apps that claim to detect skin cancer. We don't know the exact apps, as they're named only as Application 1, 2, 3 and 4. Three of the apps used algorithms to send immediate feedback about the person's risk of skin cancer, and the fourth app sent the photos to a dermatologist.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers found the fourth app to be the most accurate. The other three apps were found to incorrectly categorize a large number of skin lesions, with one missing nearly 30% of melanomas, classifying them as low-risk lesions.
A Cochrane review of prior research found that AI-based skin cancer detection has "not yet demonstrated sufficient promise in terms of accuracy, and they are associated with a high likelihood of missing melanomas."
To be fair, much of this research took place a few years ago, and the manufacturers may very well have improved their technology since then. More recently, in 2017, a team of researchers at Stanford University announced that their AI does just as well as an in-person dermatologist in detecting skin cancer -- showing that these apps and algorithms do hold promise.
Potential benefits of skin cancer detection apps
Healthcare professionals have expressed two main arguments related to skin cancer detection apps. The first raises concern that people may rely on apps and consumer devices to assess their risk of skin cancer, which could lead to delayed diagnosis. The second praises these apps for raising awareness among the public and encouraging people to take better care of their skin.
Both arguments are valid.
In the SkinVision study, for example, the researchers say, "We see the main potential for the smartphone applications in the improvement of the patient-doctor communication by making aware of the need of skin cancer screening and by giving a basis of interaction."
Additionally, apps like MoleScope that send images to dermatologists can serve as the first step in receiving a professional exam. All skin cancer biopsies begin with a visual exam, after all. However, you shouldn't use any at-home app or device to replace professional medical care for any condition.
Most skin cancer app developers know this and include a disclaimer on their websites that their app is not a replacement for professional healthcare.
The importance of annual exams
The easiest and most effective way to detect skin cancer is to self-check your skin and go to a dermatologist regularly for a check-up.
Experts disagree on what groups of people should get annual exams: Some say you only need a screening if you have suspicious moles or risk factors for melanoma; others say everyone should get an annual skin check.
A few factors increase your risk of skin cancer, and if you have any of these, you would benefit from a yearly check-up:
Fair skin, light eyes and blonde or red hair
Skin that burns or freckles easily
A family history of any type of skin cancer
History of tanning bed use
History of severe sunburns
Unusual moles or more than 50 moles on your body
For now, even though these apps may be helpful in some ways, your best bet is to seek the professional opinion of a dermatologist or doctor if you notice any suspicious moles or other warning signs of skin cancer. And to wear your sunscreen diligently, with the proper SPF rating, as higher isn't always better.
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