I-Phone Application Assists Doctors Make Diagnosis » I-Phone Application Assists Doctors Make Diagnosis

The reach of handheld technology has now found its way to the doctor’s office.

Several Torrance area physicians and researchers served as editorial editors for a new Apple iPhone application, called VisualDx, released two weeks ago.

The application, intended for medical professionals trying to identify a range of health conditions, contains about 18,000 images of skin conditions and other ailments that usually require a specialist to diagnose.

“All of us believe that a physician’s mind is the most powerful thing to assess a patient,” said Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist and researcher at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute near Torrance. “But the body of knowledge that we’re expected to know is so large, you need tools to help you think.”

The app includes information on everything from dermatology to ophthalmology to child abuse to conditions that may be related to a biochemical terrorist attack.

The program allows doctors to type in a description of symptoms, along with information about the patient, and gives them a list of possible causes. The application’s database is said to contain the most complete catalog of images, acquired through the work of researchers such as Craft.

Other local researchers who contributed to the database include Dr. Loren Miller, an infectious disease researcher who provided information on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Dr. Carol Berkowitz, who served as senior editor for child abuse and pediatric skin conditions; and Dr. Harvey Brown, who provided information on ophthalmology.

LA BioMed, in particular, made a sizable contribution to the database, said Art Papier, chief scientific officer for Logical Images, which developed the application.

“We felt extremely fortunate to have LA BioMed’s researchers working with our team to develop this innovative improvement in health care,” he said in a statement.

The app is free to most medical professionals at public and private hospitals, which subscribe to the New York-based company for various services. For now, the application is intended only for medical professionals who are schooled in medical terminology; other Web sites provide more user-

friendly information for patients who want to look up conditions themselves.

Company officials are hoping the application will be a resource for doctors, particularly internal medicine practitioners, pediatricians and geriatricians who typically must refer patients to specialists or consult medical books when problems are outside their expertise. The application will allow them to look up conditions in their office, with the patient present.

“I can show them the disease they have, and it’s very satisfying for the patient,” Craft said. “It’s very reassuring.”

Physicians involved hope the application will reduce the number of mistakes that occur at the diagnostic stage.

Connection between melanoma and breast cancer » Connection between melanoma and breast cancer

Is There a Connection Between Breast Cancer and Melanoma?

If you’ve had breast cancer or melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer), be aware that having either one raises the odds of developing the other, according to studies within the last six years.  The Annals of Oncology and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment reported that breast cancer patients have between 1.4 and 2.7 times greater risk of developing melanoma.

Melanoma Patients at Risk For Breast Cancer

And the danger is reciprocal: The International Journal of Cancer noted that female melanoma patients have a 1.4 times greater chance of developing breast cancer. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for melanoma in the United States are for 2009: 68,720 new cases of melanoma; 8,650 deaths from melanoma.  Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases, but it causes most skin cancer deaths.

The number of new cases of melanoma in the United States has not changed much in the last eight years. Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 1 in 50 for Caucasians, 1 in 1,000 for African Americans, 1 in 200 for Hispanics.  Women with either breast cancer or melanoma should be aware of the reciprocal higher risk for both tumors.

See a dermatologist for a full-body skin check if you have a history of breast cancer. Do monthly checks and breast self-exams at home. See your primary care doctor for a breast cancer screening if you have a history of melanoma.

Schedule a Consultation at Dermatology Socal To Evaluate Your Risk

Give us a call today to schedule a breast cancer and/or melanoma consultation.  We’ll evaluate you and inform you of the potential risks for you.  Call or fill out the form to the left to get started right away.