Skin cancer, melanoma, is the most common cancer in the United States. The number of melanoma cases has also been increasing over the years. Melanoma is one of the cancers most likely to spread to surrounding tissues.
Melanoma
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes and it can grow rapidly if not detected in its early stage. Many people are aware of the correlation to moles changing size and color and the link to cancer; however, approximately 75% of melanoma arises on normal-looking skin. Most melanoma only penetrates superficial layers of skin, but if it is not caught early it can spread and be very hard to treat. There are numerous screening tests used to detect melanoma.
Mole Mapping
For those who are at high risk there are advancing techniques in dermatology due to positive family history and previous cancers. Some melanomas can be detected by staying on top of mole patterns and changes. Dermatoscopy is used to examine spots more closely. There is a body scanning machine known as the ATBM that can take 4 sides, soles and feet, images of the body within four minutes. These scans can be performed during follow-up visits and can determine if there was change in mole shape, size or color. This is a much easier and more cost-effective way to check for cancer and less invasive than biopsies.
Reflectance Confocal Microscopy
There are also lasers that can scan the skin and determine if the lesion is indeed cancerous. This new tool is called reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). It uses a low-power laser to scan skin lesions and the reflectivity of the different cellular elements will determine if the lesion is cancerous or not. This type of analysis can eliminate the need for a traditional biopsy. The RCM technique is non-invasive and it can re-analyze the area in question without hurting or changing the tissue that is being examined. Traditional biopsies damage the tissue and create scar tissue that can make it hard to analyze later.
Optical Coherence Tomography
There is another imaging technique that can penetrate to a greater depth than RCM, up to 1.5 millimeters. This technique combined with RCM can be an amazing way to provide guidance for surgery. This technology can provide guidelines to surgeons and help them determine if there are clean borders when removing cancerous tumors. This can help minimize the need to perform a second surgery because the margins near the tumor are not clear.
3-D Total-Body Photography
This technology can be used to track changes in the appearance of moles or lesions. The patient will take photos like the ATBM machine, but it will create a 3-D image of the photographs, which creates a digital model of the person. This image can be zoomed in for closer inspection.
These new advances in dermatology can help determine the occurrence of cancer at an earlier stage and with a less-invasive test. With lasers and body scanners that document moles and their shapes and sizes, there may be less of a need for biopsies and even surgery.