05/26/2026    

HEALTHCARE NEWS

Spotting a Deadly Melanoma Often Takes a Handheld Device

 

Lather on the sunscreen this holiday weekend and pay close attention during your skin exam. That brown spot on your leg could look like nothing to worry about, particularly to the naked eye. But early skin cancer, including aggressive melanoma, could be missed with just a visual exam.

 

Dermatoscope

 

A new campaign is calling on more doctors, particularly in states like Florida with high rates of skin cancer, to use dermatoscopes for all skin exams. They suggest that patients seek dermatologists who use a dermatoscope, a small, handheld device that visualizes structures beneath the skin’s surface. Experts liken it to using a mammogram to detect breast cancer. The device is not new, but it has only recently been the focus of more training by medical schools and medical associations.

 

Source: Cindy Krischer Goodman, South Florida Sun Sentinel [5/23/26] via Dr. Bret Ribotsky