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There are now several smartphone applications (apps) that make claims regarding skin cancer detection. Each app evaluates photographs of skin lesions and provides information as to the likelihood of malignancy. These apps are relatively inexpensive when compared to a doctor's visit and are not subject to validation or government oversight. Although the limitations of such apps are disclosed, some consumers may be misled by the conclusions of these untested algorithms and may be harmed in the process. A team at the University of Pittsburgh set out to test the effectiveness of four such apps that were publicly available.
The researchers submitted digital clinical images of 60 melanoma lesions (44 invasive; 16 in situ) and 128 benign lesions (l…