MelaFind Device Approved to Detect Melanoma
A deadly form of skin cancer
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- MelaFind -- a device that creates digital images of suspicious skin growths and compares them to a database of thousands of scans to analyze for signs of melanoma skin cancer -- has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The non-invasive diagnostic can help doctors decide whether to biopsy skin growths in their early stages, when skin cancer is nearly 100 percent curable, device maker Mela Sciences said in a news release.
Melanoma, if not caught in its earliest stages, is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It accounts for about 75 percent of skin cancer deaths, the company said.
While the new technology can recommend to doctors whether to perform a biopsy, it is not intended to confirm a clinical diagnosis of melanoma, Mela said.
The company is based in Irvington, N.Y.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about melanoma.
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