DermaSensor Device Demonstrates Ability to Improve Detection of Skin Cancer

DermaSensor, a health technology company based in Miami, Florida, that creates and provides its clients with non-invasive tools and technology to better help physicians detect skin cancer, announced the publication of a recent study that used its handheld epidermal spectroscopic scanning (ESS) device to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions (1). The study serves as more evidence into the effectiveness of their device, representing another advancement in the field of analytical instrumentation in clinical analysis.

Spectroscopy has been used in clinical applications over the years thanks to its wide breadth of analytical techniques. For example, Raman spectroscopy, because of its nondestructive nature, has been used in clinical medicine to analyze biological tissues and diagnose diseases (2). It has also been used in ex vivo and in vivo medical analysis (2). Ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy has also been used to quantify predictive biomarkers in vivo to improve cancer treatments (3).

Approximately 20% of Americans will get skin cancer by 70 years of age (4). However, it is a cancer that can be treated if caught early.

Doctor dermatologist examines skin of patient. Dermatoscopy, prevention of melanoma, skin cancer. | Image Credit: © InsideCreativeHouse - stock.adobe.com

In the study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, three primary care clinicians (PCCs) evaluated skin lesions that patients reported as concerning (5). Each lesion was scanned using DermoSensor’s handheld ESS device. The PCCs provided a diagnosis, management decision, and confidence level for each lesion (5). These findings were then compared to pathology results or a panel of three dermatologists who examined high-resolution dermatoscopic and clinical images (5). The evaluation metrics for the study included sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and the area under the curve (AUC) to assess the accuracy of the ESS device and clinician assessments (5).

In all, the researchers examined 155 patients with 178 lesions (5). The DermoSensor device's diagnostic sensitivity was 90.0%, with a specificity of 60.7%, as compared to biopsy or dermatologist panel standards (5). This is compared to primary care clinicians (PCCs) without the device had a sensitivity of 40.0% and specificity of 84.8% (5). The device had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.815, higher than PCCs without the device, who had an AUC of 0.643 (5).

“This study further shows that DermaSensor represents a significant step forward in achieving our goal of making a meaningful difference in the fight against skin cancer,” said Gary Slatko, MD, Chief Medical Officer of DermaSensor, according to a press release (1). “We designed the device to equip healthcare providers with a tool that helps quickly assess suspicious skin lesions so patients can get the best possible care.”

The success of DermaSensor’s device and the study’s findings underscores two trends in analytical spectroscopy. One of these trends is the shift toward developing more portable instrumentation. As Richard Crocombe mentions in “Spectroscopy Outside the Laboratory,” portable instrumentation has allowed analysts to conduct their research on site instead of transporting samples to a laboratory, which risks contamination (6). They also help users obtain the information and data they need while also saving a significant amount of money since handheld instruments are generally less expensive to produce (6).

DermaSensor’s device also shows the trend of applying handheld instrumentation in clinical analysis. Apart from cost savings and cutting medical costs, portable instrumentation carries several other important benefits, including providing users with non-invasive analysis, real-time diagnostics, and minimal sample preparation (1,6).

Advancements in portable spectroscopic instrumentation can help physicians detect diseases like melanoma, but they can also be used in various other industries. This latest innovation from DermaSensor is an indicator that more enhancements to portable instrumentation can be expected in the future.

References

1. Business Wire, DermaSensor Announces New Publication Demonstrating its AI-powered Spectroscopy Device’s High Performance for Patients’ Worrisome Moles. Business Wire. Available at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240919949414/en/DermaSensor-Announces-New-Publication-Demonstrating-its-AI-powered-Spectroscopy-Device%E2%80%99s-High-Performance-for-Patients%E2%80%99-Worrisome-Moles (accessed 2024-09-24).
2. Qi, Y.; Chen, E. X.; Hu, D.; et al. Applications of Raman Spectroscopy in Clinical Medicine. Food Front. 2024, 5 (2), 392–419. DOI: 10.1002/fft2.335
3. Brown, J. Q.; Vishwanath, K.; Palmer, G. M. Ramanujam, N. Advances in Quantitative UV-Visible Spectroscopy for Clinical and Pre-clinical Application in Cancer. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 2009, 20 (1), 119–131. DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2009.02.004
4. The Skin Cancer Foundation, Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics. Skin Cancer.org. Available at: https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/ (accessed 2024-09-24).
5. Tepedino, M.; Baltazar, D.; Hanna, K.; et al. Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy on Patient-Selected Lesions Concerning for Skin Cancer. J. Am. Board Fam. Med. 2024, 37 (3), 427–435. DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230256R2
6. Crocombe, R. Spectrometers in Wonderland: Shrinking, Shrinking, Shrinking. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/spectrometers-in-wonderland-shrinking-shrinking-shrinking (accessed 2024-09-24).