iPhone app Skin Scan looks for skin cancer

Skin Scan is a skin cancer prevention tool that aims to ‘drastically reduce the cases in which people reach a medic when it’s too late and far more expensive by bringing a revolutionary screening method to potentially everyone’s home’.

Developed by Cronian Labs, the technology is welcome by official bodies such as the Cancer Society of New Zealand as it could help remind people to look after their skin and visit their GP if they notice any changes in their moles.

The app makes use of a proprietary mathematical algorithm to calculate the fractal dimension of the mole and surrounding skin and to build a structural map tracks any growth to help identify abnormal developments.

Using a very simple traffic light system, it provides results that are green, yellow or red to indicate if the mole is a low, medium or high risk of being cancerous, which will indicate when the user ought to visit a doctor.

However, considering everyone’s skin looks different, people should not rely on the technology alone, Cancer Society of New Zealand’s health promotion manager Dr Jan Pearson noted.

“For melanoma, which is the most serious skin cancer, there are a number of different things that might be a melanoma. There’s a whole range of changes.”

“It could miss stuff, so my advice would be that if you’ve noticed any changes, see a doctor.

Skin Scan is available from the iTunes store for £2.99