SkinVision app helps save hundreds of Kiwis in its first year
First melanoma app certified in New Zealand
Monday 1st May, 2017
A year since its launch in New Zealand, SkinVision has successfully diagnosed over 500 skin cancers amongst its users.
And whilst summer has officially drawn to a close, and we begin our transition into winter, it still doesn’t change the
fact that New Zealand has the highest incidence rate of melanoma in the world[1]. With this summer being one of the
hottest on record, it is unlikely that New Zealand will lose this title any time soon.
In New Zealand, 2 out of every 3 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. Each year over 2,500
people get a diagnosis of melanoma, and of those around 350 die.
The SkinVision app hopes to slow down the rate of New Zealand’s skin cancer fatalities by allowing people to check for
early signs, improving their odds of seeing a doctor in time if a mole or skin lesion looks suspicious. It is the first
skin cancer app certified in New Zealand and offers a simple and effective tool for monitoring and tracking moles and
other lesions.
Currently 100,000 Kiwis are SkinVision users, yet the app has helped over 100 user’s find melanoma early. According to
the Ministry of Health, melanoma accounts for 80% of all skin cancer deaths in New Zealand, costing $300,000 per year to
treat. With only 1.7% of the population covered, SkinVision has therefore saved the health service an estimated
$5,700,000.
If the whole country were to sign up, thousands of people would significantly increase their chance of early diagnosis
and survival. Further to this, hundreds of millions of dollars could be saved and spent elsewhere within the health
service.
Dick Uyttewaal, Chief Executive at SkinVision says that even in the winter months, sun safety is still important.
“UV radiation is the leading factor in the development of skin cancers and is the most preventable cause of the disease.
Despite that, however, many people do not realise the harmful effects of the sun on exposed skin in the winter months.
Snow reflects as much as 80% of UV radiation, which is much higher than the amount reflected by water or dry beach sand.
So for those who enjoy winter sports it’s still important to take precaution. Don’t get complacent about your skin as
you could still be at risk for damaging UV exposure during winter.”
SkinVision has been designed to complement visits to a GP or dermatologist by providing the leading mobile solution for
assessing and tracking moles, with an 88% accuracy rate for melanoma. The scientifically certified app has a unique
algorithm that provides an analysis of lesions based on fractal geometry, the first of its kind in New Zealand.
To help the algorithm learn and to improve its accuracy, each photo is also manually assessed by a team of image
specialists and dermatologists. In New Zealand alone, this system has already assessed over 330,000 images, with over
3,000,000 globally.
This development of both the data and algorithm has allowed SkinVision to draw attention to conditions beyond melanoma.
The app is now capable of detecting potential squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and precancerous actinic
keratosis. With an increase in users and the data this brings, SkinVision will develop the app to include yet more skin
conditions at an even higher accuracy rate.
SkinVision isn’t designed to replace a medical expert’s opinion, but instead, to provide a tool for analysing and
tracking moles in between professional check-ups, and helping people prepare for medical appointments with their own
updated personal image gallery.
Go to www.skinvision.com to find out more information on the app and where to download.
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