Skin cancer detected before it appears on the skin's surface
“Russia Today” – Researchers in Germany have unveiled a new method that could enable the detection of skin cancer before any visible signs appear on the skin’s surface, a step that may aid in diagnosing the disease at an early stage.
A team from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), led by Dr. Moritz Ronneke from the Department of Dermatology at Erlangen University Hospital, developed this approach using AI-assisted “Line-Scanning Optical Coherence Tomography” (LC-OCT).
The researchers conducted a systematic examination of the faces of patients at high risk for skin cancer and, for the first time, detected basal cell carcinoma before any visible changes appeared on the skin.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer worldwide. Although it typically grows locally, it can destroy surrounding tissues and cause damage to sensitive areas such as the nose and eyes when it appears on the face. Early detection offers less invasive treatment options, and in some cases, treatment may be limited to the use of topical creams.
LC-OCT combines optical coherence tomography with confocal microscopy, enabling real-time vertical, horizontal, and three-dimensional imaging of the skin with micrometer-level precision. These images help physicians visualize changes within the skin and identify areas requiring further examination.
Artificial intelligence can also analyze the images and display a color-coded probability indicator showing the likelihood of basal cell carcinoma, while the final diagnostic decision remains the responsibility of the physician.
The researchers believe that the routine future use of this approach, referred to as “SUBSCAN,” could help detect basal cell carcinoma at a very early stage, potentially expanding the use of topical treatments and reducing the need for surgery in some cases.
However, the technology is still in the evaluation phase and cannot currently be used routinely due to a lack of data regarding its sensitivity, as well as the fact that the examination still takes a considerable amount of time.
