DermaSensor device aids primary care clinicians with identifying skin cancer
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Key takeaways:
- The device is a handheld tool that uses spectroscopy and algorithms to test worrisome skin lesions for cancer.
- It increased skin cancer detection sensitivity to 90% from clinicians’ 40%.
DermaSensor has announced the publication of its study showcasing the ability of its elastic scattering spectroscopy device to assist primary care clinicians in identifying skin cancer, according to a press release.
Early detection is crucial when it comes to treating skin cancer; however, over 40% of the U.S. population lives in regions with a shortage of dermatologists, making primary care clinicians the first line of defense against skin cancer before referring to a dermatologist, according to the publication.
The DermaSensor device is a handheld tool that uses spectroscopy and algorithms to test concerning skin lesions for cancer.
“The results published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine highlight DermaSensor’s potential to significantly enhance primary care clinicians’ ability to differentiate between benign and malignant skin lesions that are concerning to patients,” Cody Simmons, BA, co-founder and CEO of DermaSensor, told Healio.
In the study, 155 patients with 178 lesions underwent testing with the DermaSensor device which was administered by three primary care clinicians. After these clinicians provided their diagnosis, three dermatologists examined high resolution dermatoscopic and clinical images to confirm the diagnosis.
The most common patient concern (91.6%) was that the lesion was “new or changing.”
After the device was used, the dermatologists determined that it increased skin cancer detection sensitivity to 90% from the primary care clinicians’ sensitivity of 40%. The specificity of the device for correctly classifying concerning, yet benign, lesions was 60.7% compared with the clinicians’ specificity of 84.8%.
In what Simmons called “one of the most compelling findings,” the device demonstrated a high negative predictive value of 98.9%, meaning nearly all lesions flagged as benign had a very low risk (1%) for malignancy.
“This level of accuracy may be particularly impactful in underserved and rural areas where access to dermatologists is limited, enabling quick assessment, timely intervention and reassurance for patients presenting to their primary care provider with worrisome moles,” Simmons told Healio.
Additionally, the positive predictive value of the device was 13.6%. A majority of the clinician panel (88.2%) agreed with the device’s positive predictions.
“The key takeaway for clinicians is that DermaSensor’s artificial intelligence-powered spectroscopy device is a quick, noninvasive and reliable tool for non-dermatologists evaluating suspicious skin lesions,” Simmons said. “It delivers immediate results, allowing primary care providers to make more informed decisions about whether to refer patients to dermatologists.”