«Breaking News» How a photo could save your life: Former lawyer designs simple way to check for skin cancer

A phone application could help you survive Australia's most common cancer.

Launched in 2017, Firstcheck is an app designed for users to monitor and detect spots on their skin from the comfort of their own homes. 

The app, which has 30,000 users, allows people to take photos of their moles and lesions to connect with a skin specialist who will notify the user if the spot is of concern.

Hayden Laird developed the idea after his grandfather was diagnosed with skin cancer.   

Launched in 2017, Firstcheck is an app designed for users to monitor and detect spots on their skin from the comfort of their own homes

Hayden Laird (pictured) developed the idea after his grandfather was diagnosed with skin cancer

'Doctors are already using this technique in clinic (using phones to take photos of moles) we are just making referral software more widely available,' CEO Mr Laird told Nine News.

'Cell-phones take great photos nowadays, they are so clear, and the doctor on the other end of the app can always ask for different angles, or further photos if they aren't happy with what you've provided.'

The app, which costs $19.95, allows users to attach a specialised lens to their smartphone to capture 20x magnified images. 

Mr Laird, a former lawyer, said his grandfather's diagnosis made him realise there was a demand for technology to assist detecting suspect spots earlier. 

'A total of 85 percent of skin cancer is detected in the home, and we're constantly reminded that we're in charge of staying on top of skin changes - which really rams home how important tools like this are,' he said.

Mr Laid knows the 'gold standard' is to have a full body check at a clinic but he believes the technology is important to helping bridge the gap. 

Mr Laird, a former lawyer, said his grandfather's diagnosis made him realise there was a demand for technology to assist detecting suspect spots earlier

A number of reviews reveal users success stories from using the app.

'I want to encourage everyone to download a free app called Firstcheck… So affordable and easy and gives you peace of mind,' one app use wrote.

'I had a scare last year and now I am very particular about making sure we all keep a track of what is going on.'

'Firstcheck is a promising tool for timely review of lesions and for creating your own health records for tracking change,' said Linda Flay former CEO of Melanoma New Zealand.

A survey from TAL, a life insurance specialist, revealed 45 per cent of participants were unaware of the high incidence rates of skin cancer in Australia and only 36 per cent said they had a check in the past 12 months.

The app, which costs $19.95, allows users to attach a specialised lens to their smartphone to capture 20x magnified images

Cancer Council research found two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.

In 2017, there were 750,000 diagnoses of skin cancer, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

There were 13,941 people diagnosed with melanoma and 1,839 deaths. 

While the benefits of the app are acknowledged, the Cancer Council worries about the limitations of the current diagnostic tools.

Council's Skin Cancer Committee chair Heather Walker said more evidence of its effectiveness would need to be presented before the council could recommend it.

The app is only used in Australia and New Zealand. 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/09/how-a-photo-could-save-your-life-former-lawyer-designs-simple-way-to-check-for-skin-cancer/
Main photo article A phone application could help you survive Australia’s most common cancer.
Launched in 2017, Firstcheck is an app designed for users to monitor and detect spots on their skin from the comfort of their own homes. 
The app, which has 30,000 users, allows people to take photos of their moles ...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





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