Melanoma Detection by Non-Specialists: An Untapped Potential for Triage?
Carmen Cantisani,
Luca Ambrosio,
Carlotta Cucchi,
Fanni Adél Meznerics,
Norbert Kiss,
András Bánvölgyi,
Federica Rega,
Flavia Grignaffini,
Francesco Barbuto,
Fabrizio Frezza,
Giovanni Pellacani
Affiliations
Carmen Cantisani
Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza Medical School, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Luca Ambrosio
Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza Medical School, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Carlotta Cucchi
Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza Medical School, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Fanni Adél Meznerics
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
Norbert Kiss
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
András Bánvölgyi
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
Federica Rega
Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza Medical School, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Flavia Grignaffini
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Francesco Barbuto
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Frezza
Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Giovanni Pellacani
Dermatology Clinic, Department of Clinical Internal, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza Medical School, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Introduction: The incidence of melanoma increased considerably in recent decades, representing a significant public health problem. We aimed to evaluate the ability of non-specialists for the preliminary screening of skin lesions to identify melanoma-suspect lesions. Materials and Methods: A medical student and a dermatologist specialist examined the total body scans of 50 patients. Results: The agreement between the expert and the non-specialist was 87.75% (κ = 0.65) regarding the assessment of clinical significance. The four parameters of the ABCD rule were evaluated on the 129 lesions rated as clinically significant by both observers. Asymmetry was evaluated similarly in 79.9% (κ = 0.59), irregular borders in 74.4% (κ = 0.50), color in 81.4% (κ = 0.57), and diameter in 89.9% (κ = 0.77) of the cases. The concordance of the two groups was 96.9% (κ = 0.83) in the case of the detection of the Ugly Duckling Sign. Conclusions: Although the involvement of GPs is part of routine care worldwide, emphasizing the importance of educating medical students and general practitioners is crucial, as many European countries lack structured melanoma screening training programs targeting non-dermatologists.
