Israeli invention may revolutionize skin cancer diagnosis

An Israeli company has developed what it believes is a breakthrough device to aid in the early detection of skin cancer.

The device, developed by Skin Cancer Scanning, is currently undergoing clinical trials at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. It offers far more precise data than the doctor's naked eye, by using fiber-optic cables to scan for potentially malignant moles.

It was found to be 92 percent effective in identifying certain types of skin cancer - far more so than any apparatus currently available.

Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, and its incidence rate grows annually.

The disease is currently identified through a two-stage diagnosis - first, suspicious moles are examined by a physician. If the physician believes the patient is at risk, the patient undergoes a biopsy.

However, the doctor's examination is not precise, and many patients are sent for biopsies unnecessarily.

Yossi Biderman, a director of Skin Cancer Scanning, said Sunday, "Hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in trying to create a precise diagnosis method, but until now not a single tool has been developed that can do so reliably. None of the existing devices can replace the actual doctor."

The new technology works based on the principle that cancerous cells proliferate faster than healthy cells, and their accelerated metabolic activity releases energy at a higher frequency. The device scans for this activity. Biderman said he expects to reach a precision level of 95 percent.