Riceland Uses New Technology to Fight Skin Cancer

By Gloria Way

  “Prevention is the best medicine” means taking proactive steps to avoid health problems is more effective than waiting for illness to develop and then treating it. Riceland Medical Center is taking the adage to heart as it is investing in state-of-the-art technology that will detect skin cancers in its patients.

  DermaSensor is the size of a typical cell phone that is designed to be used mainly by primary care physicians. The device has a sensor when placed on a “spot” on the skin can determine if the spot could potentially be cancerous. This allows the healthcare provider to determine if a spot or a lesion on a patient should be examined by a dermatologist.

  “This is a first step prevention in treating skin cancers,” said Brock. “This device is 96% accurate in detecting whether there is a potential problem with a spot on the skin. It detects beneath the skin, cellular-level analysis.”

   The device is placed on the spot and takes five recordings in seconds. The recordings are non-invasive and painless. Response takes several seconds and results range from one to 10. Readings between one to three suggest keeping monitoring spot, four to seven suggests the patient should see a dermatologist, and eight to 10 suggests patient needs to see a dermatologist promptly.  “It is all abut early detection,” said  Brock. “We live in a hot environment where we are exposed to the sun all the time. We work outside and don’t really pay attention to sun exposure. But this device can help us as primary care providers help you determine if you should see a dermatologist. And, as a primary care provider, if we see a suspicious looking spot or lesion, we can check it out right away and determine if you should see a specialist. This is about saving lives.”

  All the primary care providers have been trained to use DermaSensor. If you have any questions, call Riceland Medical Center at 409-296-6000.