Most people know that one of the most important aspects of a successful battle against cancer is spotting the problem early.
And yet many people delay a visit to the doctor, reassuring themselves that everything will be fine. By the time you eventually drag yourself down to the local clinic, it could be too late.
Miiskin, which showcased its app at CES 2021, aims to help you stay ahead of the curve by detecting skin cancer early. It uses machine learning, computer vision, and augmented reality to make skin exams easy to conduct and analyze from the comfort of your own home.
Here's how skin expert Dr. Andrew Weinstein explained the importance of this new type of technology:
As many patients postpone their visits to the dermatologist due to COVID-19, tools that empower them to take personal care of their health have become increasingly important. It is vital for patients to continuously check their skin for changes in between their dermatology appointments. The new Automatic Skin Imaging feature from Miiskin streamlines the process, which makes it easy for individuals to keep track of their skin and identify early signs of skin cancer.
The app is remarkably easy to use. Just place your phone on a flat surface and follow the audio instructions. It will guide you through the process of capturing the necessary images of your skin (you can blur out sensitive areas) then direct you to compare the pictures with previous images.
To give you some statistics about just how important the skin-checking process is:
- More than 50 percent of melanomas are found by the patient or their close relatives according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
- In adults, 70 percent of melanoma cases are not associated with existing moles but form as new marks on the skin.
- The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends monthly self-exams.
Miiskin is partnered with The Skin Cancer Foundation, the British Skin Foundation, the Danish Cancer Society, the Cancer Association of South Africa, the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, and endorsed by The Skin Health Alliance, so you know the app and the data analysis is going to be reliable.
The app costs just $25/year and offers unlimited photo storage, PIN protection of your records, skin mapping, and automatic full-body imaging. You can grab the app on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Remember, if you have any medical issues, you should always seek professional advice from a doctor. Do not rely solely on an app to diagnose problems.