A new diagnostic machine, Deep Live, is already revolutionizing the field of dermatology. It’s especially proving powerful in the diagnosis of skin cancer. Implemented effectively, this technology could use artificial intelligence to help doctors screen for and detect basal cell carcinomas. It’s set to transform how Australia diagnoses and treats skin cancer. Professor Pascale Guitera, world-leading dermatologist and director of the Melanoma Institute, emphasizes the rapid-fire amazing developments in this technology. Still, she concedes, it’s just not ready for prime time and far from being ready to be widely implemented before more study.
This creative strategy comes at an opportune time. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world right now. In Australia, about 99 percent of skin cancers are basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas. It’s a perfect storm that has made the need for better diagnostic tools more urgent than ever! Deep Live machine helps health care professionals visualize possible cancers in realistic 3D. This new capability allows them to both assess more accurately and guarantee timely referrals.
AI Enhancements in Skin Cancer Diagnosis
In a very broad sense, Professor Guitera is quite optimistic about the use of artificial intelligence in the medical realm. She goes on to stress that AI is being trained to find melanomas versus benign moles. Doing so would have an immense impact in ensuring diagnoses are accurate. Yet, she says, the technology today is still not quite there for expert-level use.
“At the moment, we think AI will be very useful in particular for primary practice, the nurses, who are triaging patients,” – Professor Pascale Guitera.
While there is promise in this technology, full integration will only come through robust randomized controlled trials paired with detailed and nuanced cost-benefit analyses. So, all told, Professor Guitera estimates this process will take five years. She thinks Australia is leading the way with trialling new diagnostic technologies, which will have a big impact on practices around the world.
“The whole planet is looking at what we’re doing, in particular with this road map,” – Professor Pascale Guitera.
Impact on Clinical Practices
Dr. Vin Rajeswaran, who runs a skin clinic in Cairns and is vice-president of the Skin Cancer College Australasia. He focuses on the equally transformative promise of Deep Live. He’s convinced that this technology will significantly reduce the necessity for invasive procedures. By decreasing dependence on needles and biopsies, only increasing the risk of bleeding/scarring.
“This technology will change the way we practice skin cancer medicine in a big way,” – Vin Rajeswaran.
In her clinic, patients pay out of pocket for their scans, between $50-100. The unit cost for billing depends on lesion size. This new application lets doctors visualise cells in real-time. This gives them the ability to determine right away whether a biopsy is needed, eliminating the anxiety of waiting for lab results.
“We’re not waiting for seven days or 10 days for [a biopsy sample] to be sent to a pathology lab,” – Vin Rajeswaran.
This feature can be especially useful in pediatric cases where children often require surgeries in delicate environments. In Dr. Rajeswaran’s view, sparing patients from unnecessary scarring shouldn’t even be a question.
“If you’re a young woman or man and the biopsy is supposed to be done on the tip of your nose, we can stop the scarring from happening because it could be a benign lesion,” – Vin Rajeswaran.
Financial Considerations and Future Prospects
Even though the forecast looks bright for Deep Live technology, clinics may encounter financial roadblocks while making them accessible. With clinics in fear of commercial litigation, Dr. Rajeswaran thinks most clinics won’t use this technology. They will only adopt if Medicare provides strong subsidies.
“It’s unlikely many clinics would adopt the technology purely for commercial purposes without Medicare subsidies,” – Vin Rajeswaran.
Australia is embracing new technologies to improve outcomes for patients. There’s an increasing consensus that patient value should come first, not profit margins. Dr. Rajeswaran emphasizes the importance of changing priorities.
“There has to be more focus on patient benefit and outcome, rather than how much we can make out of this machine,” – Vin Rajeswaran.
