SKIN CANCER SCREENING

Every person has spots, moles (pigmented nevi, giant pigmented nevi), or other formations on their skin. Some of them are congenital, such as moles and spots, while others are acquired. There are three main types of new skin formations: benign, precancerous (with a risk of developing into cancer), and malignant. New formations require diagnosis and periodic monitoring to ensure they do not develop into malignant tumors.

It is noteworthy that the incidence rate of skin cancer is significantly increasing worldwide, making it one of the most common types of cancer.

Early diagnosis of skin cancers allows for the improvement of long-term outcomes and the reduction of mortality rates.

In recent years, a simple and inexpensive method for skin cancer screening has been introduced globally – dermatoscopic examination. The results of population screenings conducted in Germany and Australia have demonstrated its effectiveness and received positive recommendations. In modern medicine, this new method – dermatoscopic examination – is used for diagnosing new skin formations, which is carried out using a special device, the optical digital dermatoscope.

Skin cancer screening has broad support worldwide. This method is particularly important in countries with high insolation and a high risk of developing skin cancers. Georgia falls into this category.

Dermatoscopic diagnosis and examination of new skin formations are conducted for the early detection of skin cancer, which is characterized by 95% accuracy.

Screening is a method for detecting a disease in its early, asymptomatic period. Skin cancer detected during screening is usually (though not always) in its early stage, providing a much higher chance for effective treatment. The goal of screening is to prevent the development of advanced stages of cancer in patients identified at an early stage and/or to reduce mortality caused by cancer.

Changes in the color and size of new skin formations are easy to recognize through an acceptable, non-invasive, and inexpensive screening method for the population. The screening test, dermatoscopic examination, has high sensitivity for detecting preclinical cases (sensitivity) and also accurately classifies negative cases. Skin malignancies diagnosed at an early stage have a high cure rate. Excision within healthy tissue margins is the standard treatment, while treatment for advanced cases of malignant skin tumors (stages II-IV) is much more complex, often requiring extensive, “disfiguring” surgical excisions, and in cases of metastasis, prolonged treatment that is often hopeless. Malignant skin tumors meet the criteria for screening and are subject to early diagnosis. The vast majority of dermatologists agree that regular skin examinations are crucial for the prevention and early diagnosis of skin cancer. Therefore, skin cancer screening has gained widespread support worldwide as one of the best methods for the primary prevention of this disease.