Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping in the diagnosis of skin cancers such as melanoma.

It’s early days yet, but artificial intelligence is proving to be a promising resource in the early diagnosis of skin conditions, especially cancer.

“We are just beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible,” says Bobby Buka, MD, CEO of The Dermatology Specialists in New York.

How it works

According to Buka, a technology called MelaFind helps evaluate suspicious skin abnormalities (lesions).  Specifically, the test determines whether a particular colored (pigmented) skin lesion is likely to be melanoma. It uses a sophisticated imaging system to capture photographs of the skin abnormality.

Sophisticated AI algorithms then evaluate the scanned data to diagnose serious skin cancers, including melanoma, said Buka.

However, the accuracy of the system does not still match that of a biopsy. Nevertheless, according to Buka, it is a very useful alternative in areas that do not have adequate medical facilities.

That’s because AI has a good chance of diagnosing pigmented lesions because of their different color and shapes.

However, AI still struggles with eruptions and rashes.

“AI is not sophisticated enough to conquer those nuances, at least not yet,” says Dr Buka.

Breakthroughs by 3Derm

Earlier this month, 3Derm Systems, Inc. (3Derm) announced it had been granted two FDA Breakthrough Device designations for 3DermSpot.

3DermSpot is an algorithm that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and highly standardized skin images to autonomously detect melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma.

“Development of accurate, easy to use AI products to support primary care physicians can provide high-quality care for millions of Americans with limited access to dermatology,” said Dr. Mostaghimi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and advisor to 3Derm. “This is an incredible milestone for a great team that has a unique understanding of both the clinical and technical challenges of the task at hand.”

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