Why You Can Trust CNET 4 Ways to Spot Skin Cancer With Your Smartphone
Your phone can help you recognize suspicious moles and marks, but you should still see a dermatologist about concerns.
Early detection of skin cancer could be the difference between a simple mole removal or several rounds of chemotherapy.
While skin care advice most commonly comes about at the brink of summer, your skin can get damaged by UV rays no matter what time of year, no matter what the weather. Skin cancer accounts for more diagnoses each year than all other cancers, but the good news is that early detection could be the difference between a simple mole removal or malignant cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.
A handful of smartphone apps and devices claim to aid early detection and keep you on track with regular self-exams. You can capture photos of suspicious moles or marks and track them yourself, or send them off to a dermatologist for assessment. Either way, these apps can be helpful, but they do have limitations, so it's important to follow conventional wisdom to protect yourself.
Here's what you need to know about using your smartphone to detect skin cancer.
Read more: The Ideal SPF Sunscreen You Should Use This Summer, According to Experts
Know the facts about skin cancer
Every year, doctors diagnose more than 4 million cases of nonmelanoma (including basal and squamous cell) skin cancers in the US, and the number of melanoma deaths is expected to increase by 4.4 percent in 2023, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.
Basal and squamous cell skin cancers develop on the outer layers of the skin and are more common, though less harmful, than melanoma.
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It forms in the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, called melanocytes. It's an aggressive form of cancer and accounts for nearly 10,000 deaths each year. Even with early detection, it can be fatal.
Symptoms of all types of skin cancers include:
- Change in the size or color of a mole or other spot on the skin
- A new growth on the skin
- Odd skin sensations, such as persistent itchiness or tenderness
- Spread of pigmentation outside the border of a mole
Skin cancer may develop due to a variety of factors, including genetics and exposure to toxic chemicals, but the clearest connection is that of skin cancer and UV exposure.
Read more: Don't Believe These 10 Sunscreen Myths and Save Your Skin
How your phone can help you spot skin cancer
Telemedicine is a growing field, and skin care is not to be left out: Over the last several years, a handful of skin cancer detection apps popped up allowing you to analyze your skin with your smartphone and artificial intelligence algorithms.
Some send photos to a dermatologist, some provide instant feedback and others offer helpful reminders about self-checking your skin and scheduling a doctor's appointment.
Here are a few you can download on iOS and Android.
Miiskin uses hi-res digital photography to capture magnified photos of moles on your skin.
Miiskin
Miiskin uses mole mapping to analyze your skin. Dermatologists perform mole maps as part of a clinical full-body skin exam, using digital dermoscopy (magnified digital photography) to catch suspicious lesions they may not catch with their own eyes.
Because they're so high-definition, dermoscopy photos provide much more information than normal digital photos. The developers behind Miiskin wanted to offer a version of this technology to consumers, so they built an app that takes magnified photos of large areas of your skin, for example, your entire leg. According to the website, anyone with an iPhone with iOS 11 and newer or a phone running Android 4.4 and newer can use Miiskin.
The app stores your photos separate from your smartphone library and allows you to compare moles over time, which is helpful in detecting changes.
UMSkinCheck
UMSkinCheck comes from researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) school of medicine and allows you to complete a full-body skin cancer self-exam, as well as create and track a history of moles, growths and lesions.
The app guides you step-by-step on how to complete the exam with graphics and written instructions. UMSkinCheck also comes with access to informational videos and articles, as well as a melanoma risk calculator.
This app also sends push reminders to encourage people to follow-up on their self-exams and check on the lesions or moles they are tracking. You can decide how often you want to see those reminders in the app.
MoleScope
With a clip-on camera, MoleScope uses the ABCD method to complete a risk assessment of your moles.
MoleScope uses magnified images to help people determine whether they should see a dermatologist to get their skin checked.
A product of MetaOptima (a supplier of clinical dermatology technology) MoleScope is a device that attaches to your smartphone and sends photos to a dermatologist for an online checkup.
Though MoleScope itself won't analyze or diagnose your moles, you can use the ABCD guide in the app to keep tabs on any suspicious moles: The app helps you document your moles with photos and sends them to a dermatologist, who can assess them using the ABCD method:
- Asymmetry: the shape of one half doesn't match the other
- Border: edges are bumpy, ragged or blurred
- Color: uneven shades of brown, black and tan; odd colors such as red or blue
- Diameter: a change in size greater than 6 mm
Unlike Miiskin, you can only take photos of one mole or small areas with a few moles, rather than large areas like your entire chest or back.
SkinVision
SkinVision claims to aid early detection of melanoma. The app uses deep learning to analyze photos of your skin and aid in the early detection of skin cancer. The photos are processed through a machine-learning algorithm that filters image layers based on simple, complex, and more abstract functions and patterns through a technology called convolutional neural network (CNN). SkinVision uses it to check small areas of your skin and come back with a high- or low-risk assessment of that area in less than a minute.
SkinVision is backed by a scientific board of dermatologists, but Dr. Daniel Friedmann, a dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas, told CNET that even an app with prominent support of scientists has limitations.
"I would not recommend that patients avoid these apps, but I would approach their results with cautious skepticism," Dr. Friedmann said, "and counsel patients that suspicious lesions are best evaluated in-office."
Find it: iOS
SkinVision uses a machine-learning algorithm to analyze spots on the skin.
Read more: 5 Facial Products You'll Want This Summer to Protect Your Skin
Research is promising, but accuracy isn't quite there
Of all the apps discussed here, SkinVision seems to have the most research behind it.
A 2014 study on an older version of SkinVision reported 81% accuracy in detecting melanoma, which at the time researchers said was "insufficient to detect melanoma accurately."
However, a more recent study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology determined that SkinVision can detect 95% of skin cancer cases. It's encouraging to see the company continue to work on app accuracy, as early detection of skin cancer is the number-one way to achieve successful treatment.
In another study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, analyzed four smartphone apps that claim to detect skin cancer. We don't know the exact apps, as they're named only as Application 1, 2, 3 and 4. Three of the apps used algorithms to send immediate feedback about the person's risk of skin cancer, and the fourth app sent the photos to a dermatologist.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers found the fourth app to be the most accurate. The other three apps were found to incorrectly categorize a large number of skin lesions, with one missing nearly 30% of melanomas, classifying them as low-risk lesions.
A Cochrane review of prior research found that AI-based skin cancer detection has "not yet demonstrated sufficient promise in terms of accuracy, and they are associated with a high likelihood of missing melanomas."
To be fair, much of this research took place a few years ago, and the manufacturers may very well have improved their technology since then. More recently, in 2017, a team of researchers at Stanford University announced that their AI does just as well as an in-person dermatologist in detecting skin cancer -- showing that these apps and algorithms do hold promise.
Potential benefits of skin cancer detection apps
Healthcare professionals have expressed two main arguments related to skin cancer detection apps. The first raises concern that people may rely on apps and consumer devices to assess their risk of skin cancer, which could lead to delayed diagnosis. The second praises these apps for raising awareness among the public and encouraging people to take better care of their skin.
Both arguments are valid.
In the SkinVision study, for example, the researchers say, "We see the main potential for the smartphone applications in the improvement of the patient-doctor communication by making aware of the need of skin cancer screening and by giving a basis of interaction."
Additionally, apps like MoleScope that send images to dermatologists can serve as the first step in receiving a professional exam. All skin cancer biopsies begin with a visual exam, after all. However, you shouldn't use any at-home app or device to replace professional medical care for any condition.
Most skin cancer app developers know this and include a disclaimer on their websites that their app is not a replacement for professional healthcare.
The importance of annual exams
The easiest and most effective way to detect skin cancer is to self-check your skin and go to a dermatologist regularly for a check-up.
Experts disagree on what groups of people should get annual exams: Some say you only need a screening if you have suspicious moles or risk factors for melanoma; others say everyone should get an annual skin check.
A few factors increase your risk of skin cancer, and if you have any of these, you would benefit from a yearly check-up:
- Fair skin, light eyes and blonde or red hair
- Skin that burns or freckles easily
- A family history of any type of skin cancer
- History of tanning bed use
- History of severe sunburns
- Unusual moles or more than 50 moles on your body
For now, even though these apps may be helpful in some ways, your best bet is to seek the professional opinion of a dermatologist or doctor if you notice any suspicious moles or other warning signs of skin cancer.