An app that could help smartphone users monitor suspicious moles for melanoma has launched in Australia.

The Dutch-born SkinVision app uses a unique algorithm to identify the growth of moles or freckles, and alerts users to visit a medical professional if abnormalities are detected.

Although those at high-risk of melanoma often undergo regular medical examinations for the skin cancer, most melanomas are found in individuals who are deemed to be at “above average risk,” but may not be undergoing regular skin checks, said SkinVision CEO Dick Uyttewaal.

“These people are not normally monitored by doctors yet and these are the people that benefit most from the app,” he said. “Accuracy for the app is in line with the eye of the dermatologist for melanoma.”

The app is designed to complement regular visits to a doctor or dermatologist by allowing users to do an online assessment, upload images to track any suspicious moles, and take the opportunity to reach out to a dermatologist or medical professional.

“The app 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 personal image gallery,” said Uyttewaal.

A visual photo archive of a suspicious mole over time is a more reliable than relying on a patient’s memory of the growth, said Dr Pascale Guitera, a dermatologist from the Melanoma Institute Australia.

"Having a photo and in particular serial photos is very helpful for us, because often it’s a clue - you can see if the mole is very quiet and not changing or if it is developing,” she said. “If you see a lesion changing and growing on your skin you should react quickly."

Although SkinVision reports an accuracy rate of 83 percent, the developers say this figure is set to improve as the size of its photo database grows, which in turn improves the algorithm. The app has already received more than one million pictures abroad and about 50,000 new images photos are uploaded each month.

Despite advancing technologies, melanoma remains difficult to diagnose, warned Dr Guitera.

"Even for pathologists, their sensitivity is not 100 percent; sometimes they cannot reach a consensus. Always in the end, medicine is an art,” she said. "If the sensitivity is not great, then that's a real problem, because it means the method has missed a malignant one and it can be bad for your patient."

There are currently more than 80 apps available that assist users in self-diagnosing skin issues. Some of the most popular dermatology apps include Doctor Mole Australia and Know Your Own Skin.

Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, with one Australian dying from melanoma every six hours, according to the Melanoma Institute Australia. Melanoma is the third most common form of cancer in Australian men and women, and more than 11,500 new cases are diagnosed in Australia each year.

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