Healthwatch: The Cancer Scanner
By: Tara Joyce
Updated: January 18, 2013
Soaking up some rays can be fun, or fatal. Doctor Mark Nestor says catching skin cancer early is key. He says "When it is caught early, it is virtually 100 percent curable."
Detecting melanoma can be tricky, but now a new FDA approved tool known as MelaFind, is giving doctors the upper hand. MelaFind uses a scanner that emits ten unique wavelengths of light to analyze various aspects of a mole. In just minutes it displays a 3D image and rates its disorganization as high or low.
It is the first of its kind every approved by the FDA and the results are impressive. MelaFind was 98 percent accurate in predicting melanoma and reduced unnecessary biopsies by 90 percent.
Detecting melanoma can be tricky, but now a new FDA approved tool known as MelaFind, is giving doctors the upper hand. MelaFind uses a scanner that emits ten unique wavelengths of light to analyze various aspects of a mole. In just minutes it displays a 3D image and rates its disorganization as high or low.
It is the first of its kind every approved by the FDA and the results are impressive. MelaFind was 98 percent accurate in predicting melanoma and reduced unnecessary biopsies by 90 percent.
