Core Concepts
Advancements in skin cancer diagnosis technologies are improving early detection and reducing unnecessary biopsies.
Abstract
The content discusses the advancements in skin cancer diagnosis technologies presented by Jonathan Ungar, MD, at the Mount Sinai Winter Symposium. Key highlights include:
- Importance of early detection in reducing morbidity and mortality from melanoma.
- Challenges with skin cancer screening and the gold standard of skin biopsy.
- Introduction of new technologies like VECTRA WB180/360 systems and Nevisense EIS device.
- Benefits of electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) devices and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in skin cancer detection.
- Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCF) as a tool for diagnosing melanocytic lesions.
- The potential of genetic testing in dermatological practice.
Stats
The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) for patients with melanoma is roughly 92%.
Survival rate falls to 65% with lymph node involvement and 25% when the disease spreads to other organs.
Nevisense EIS device has a sensitivity of 96.6% and a Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 98.2% for melanoma.
Quotes
"Several new technologies have arisen that can improve diagnosis and monitoring for skin cancer, while at the same time minimizing the need for unnecessary biopsies." - Jonathan Ungar, MD