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The cameras on our smartphones have come a lonnnnnng way. In fact, many people rely on their iPhones as the primary device for non-professional photography. But are these cameras yet good enough, clear and colour-accurate enough, to trust when the results could literally be a matter of life or death?
The University of Michigan has released a free iPhone app, UMSkinCheck, “intended for skin cancer self exam and surveillance.” 23 different, strategic self-shots — in the nude! — comprise the full-body photographic library that is stored in the app. It also allows you to “track detected moles/lesions, access informational videos and literature, and fill out a melanoma risk calculator.”
Obviously, this app doesn’t intend to replace the need for a professional medical exam. And it’s certainly a great concept. But is smartphone technology — cameras, to be precise — there yet? [The Atlantic]
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I work in this field. This app won’t be trying to do any diagnosis. Even the fanciest hyper-spectral cameras using incredibly fancy algorithms struggle to match an averagely competent dermatologist.
What this is trying to do is help you look for changes. If a mole is going off, then it’s going to start to change. By monitoring all the lesions to check whether they are changing size or shape, you can alert when you need to get something checked over by a qualified doctor.
Most non-melanoma skin cancers are not going to kill you. They’re unpleasant but they can be treated pretty effectively. Melanoma, however, is really scary, really unpleasant and really dangerous, but it’s treatable if you catch it early enough.. Anything that can help with that is a good idea.