Spotting a deadly melanoma often takes a handheld device. Does your doctor have one?
That brown spot on your leg could look like nothing to worry about, particularly to the naked eye. But early skin cancer, including aggressive melanoma, could be missed with just a visual exam.
A new campaign is calling on more doctors, particularly in states like Florida with high rates of skin cancer, to use dermatoscopes for all skin exams. They suggest that patients seek dermatologists who use a dermatoscope, a small, handheld device that visualizes structures beneath the skin’s surface. Experts liken it to using a mammogram to detect breast cancer. The device is not new, but it has only recently been the focus of more training by medical schools and medical associations.
While many primary care doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants do skin exams, few are trained in how to use a dermatoscope. The same is true of the older generation of dermatologists and some new dermatology residents.