Early detection of melanoma: evaluating the combined use of total body photography and sequential digital dermoscopic imaging in a national health service setting.

Summary: For people with many moles, spotting skin cancer early can be like finding a needle in a haystack. A UK study tested a specialized program where nurses used full-body photography and high-tech digital close-ups to monitor high-risk patients over time. The results were excellent: out of nearly 7,000 screening sessions, the team successfully identified very early-stage melanomas that were thin and highly treatable. The program proved efficient, requiring only about eight biopsies to find one cancer, showing that nurse-led imaging is a smart, life-saving strategy for early detection.