New melanoma analysis app SkinVision launches in NZ

SkinVision has launched in New Zealand the first certified melanoma analysis application offering New Zealanders a simple and effective tool for monitoring and tracking moles for melanoma.
 
The launch of the European-born app in New Zealand follows much success in Australia, where it has been downloaded by more than 100,000 people. 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 81% accuracy rate. The app is scientifically proven, with a unique algorithm making it the only app in New Zealand that provides a certified analysis of lesions based on fractal geometry.
 
New Zealand has the highest incidence rate of melanoma in the world, according to Melanoma New Zealand. Over 2,500 New Zealanders are diagnosed with melanoma every year, and of those around 350 die. The SkinVision app aims to help people learn about their skin, so they will see a doctor in time if a mole looks suspicious. SkinVision’s ultimate aim is to increase early detection of melanoma by providing easy-to-access tools for self-assessment and an instant link to health professionals.
 
Melanoma New Zealand says: “It is really exciting to see how modern technology is enabling our patients at high risk of melanoma to monitor their skin lesions between regular visits to their doctors for skin checks. However, it is vital that monitoring is supported and supervised by the patient’s usual practitioners.“


Photo courtesy of SkinVision

SkinVision CEO Dick Uyttewaal will be in New Zealand for the launch of the app, saying, “We’re so pleased to be launching the app for Kiwis. Even in New Zealand, only a small portion of people at risk of developing skin cancer are actively monitored by a qualified doctor. The SkinVision application provides the latest online tools to regularly track moles for changes and enable timely visits a doctor. In 4 years we have built a unique and trusted solution so it is time now that New Zealanders can make use of that technology”.

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.

Dermatologist and former President of the New Zealand Dermatological Society, Amanda Oakley, underwrites the importance that the app complements the visit to the doctor: "I'm absolutely delighted to support any venture we can to get people to go to their doctors if they have lesions of concern. Apps are fabulous because they provide people with further information, but we have to be careful that they shouldn't solely rely upon them”.
 
The SkinVision app is easy to use – just take a photo of the mole with your smartphone, and you’ll receive an instant assessment and recommendation. The app’s risk rating (traffic light outcome) for the mole helps you select the moles that should be tracked for changes over time within a personal gallery, which you can share with your doctor.
 

Photo courtesy of SkinVision

An Australian customer, Theresa Ellis, had a mole removed after tracking her skin health using SkinVision, stating, “it was a melanoma and some skin was removed so no further action was required. My doctor and nurse were amazed that you could get so much information out of a photograph.”
 
Available for both iOS and Android Samsung users, the app is the first in the world to use a mathematical formula incorporating fractal geometry in melanoma risk analysis. The app’s proprietary algorithm calculates the fractal dimension of skin lesions and surrounding skin tissue to build a structural map that reveals the different growth patterns of the tissues, providing a unique online assessment which determines potential non-natural growth of pigmented moles on the skin.
 
Kiwis can download the SkinVision app with a one-month free trial. From Monday 14 March until 8 April, New Zealanders can download the SkinVision app and be in the running to win $2000. SkinVision will also match the prize with a $2000 donation to Melanoma NZ. Visit skinvision.com to find out more.