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There's An App That Can Detect If You Have Skin Cancer And It's Right 98% Of The Time
Business Insider ^ | 01/17/2013 | Megan Rose Dickey

Posted on 01/17/2013 2:24:41 PM PST by SeekAndFind

There's an app for just about everything these days. Well, now there's an app that correctly detects skin cancer 98% of the time, Christopher Weaver of WSJ reports.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center tested four apps to analyze images of 188 moles, including 60 melanomas. All of these moles were pre-evaluated by a dermatologist.

The best-performing app forwarded the images to board-certified dermatologists to review at cost of $5 per mole, while the other three used algorithms and cost less than $5.

The worst of those apps determined that dozens of swollen, discolored moles were benign. During the study, that app correctly identified cancerous moles only 6.8% of the time.

While health apps can be great tools to help you stay aware, they shouldn't replace your doctor.

"If patients are using one of these [apps] to say 'melanoma' or 'not melanoma,' they're going to get in trouble," dermatologist Ken Beer told The Wall Street Journal. "This can't be a person's only dermatologist."

While the study didn't mention the apps by name, SpotCheck co-founder Bobby Buka is convinced that his app was the top performer.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Health/Medicine; Science
KEYWORDS: app; skincancer

1 posted on 01/17/2013 2:24:46 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

The FDA will ban these apps for being “un-approved medical devices”.


2 posted on 01/17/2013 2:29:53 PM PST by wideminded
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To: wideminded

0bama wants the tax revenue for medical devices.


3 posted on 01/17/2013 2:34:39 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: SeekAndFind
There's An App That Can Detect If You Have Skin Cancer And It's Right 98% Of The Time

The best-performing app forwarded the images to board-certified dermatologists to review at cost of $5 per mole, while the other three used algorithms and cost less than $5.

So the app is really doing nothing other than taking a picture, charging you $5 and forwarding it to a dermatologist. That's like saying there's an app which can help me fire a pistol when all it does is calls up an NRA instructor who gives me a lesson over the phone.

4 posted on 01/17/2013 2:46:19 PM PST by KarlInOhio (Choose one: the yellow and black flag of the Tea Party or the white flag of the Republican Party.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Van Nostrand 2.0?


5 posted on 01/17/2013 2:49:33 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: SeekAndFind

*


6 posted on 01/17/2013 3:47:12 PM PST by PMAS (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing)
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