Latest news with #AustralianCancerResearchFoundation
The Age
17-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
$10m was spent on these melanoma scanners. Doctors were better at detecting cancer
A huge and much-hyped government investment into 3D skin cancer scanners has hit an unexpected snag after early data showed the scanners performed no better than a simple skin check from a GP – and may lead to overdiagnosis. The new data has stunned researchers, who are debating whether this represents a blip that will be ironed out as the tech improves or a cautionary tale about the promise and perils of shiny new medical technology. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation spent about $10 million in 2018 to set up 15 3D full-body cameras across Australia. The Queensland-based research centre established to run the network received another $25 million in federal government research funding, as well as funding from the camera's manufacturer. The scanners, each of which cost about $500,000, use dozens of cameras to generate a 3D image of a person, tracking the location of each mole and blemish. When the first machines were installed in Australia 2017 as part of a separate project, a glowing press release said the tech would ' revolutionise melanoma detection '. That revolution is not yet here. In a study published earlier this year in JAMA Dermatology, researchers found adding the cameras to usual care led to a lot more lesions being cut out from volunteers' skin – but no more melanoma being detected compared to standard skin checks. And the scanners added $945 per patient in healthcare costs. 'This study is like a cautionary tale,' said one leading melanoma researcher, working on a related project and granted anonymity to speak freely about the trial. 'These are very costly devices. And they might not work if you don't implement it properly. And you're just wasting lots of money and potentially doing harm.' 'It does present a challenge for us going forward,' said Professor David Whiteman, a researcher at QIMR Berghofer and co-author of the study. 'It does temper the enthusiasm a little for just how we go about dealing with skin cancer and its detection in Australia.'
Sydney Morning Herald
17-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
$10m was spent on these melanoma scanners. Doctors were better at detecting cancer
A huge and much-hyped government investment into 3D skin cancer scanners has hit an unexpected snag after early data showed the scanners performed no better than a simple skin check from a GP – and may lead to overdiagnosis. The new data has stunned researchers, who are debating whether this represents a blip that will be ironed out as the tech improves or a cautionary tale about the promise and perils of shiny new medical technology. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation spent about $10 million in 2018 to set up 15 3D full-body cameras across Australia. The Queensland-based research centre established to run the network received another $25 million in federal government research funding, as well as funding from the camera's manufacturer. The scanners, each of which cost about $500,000, use dozens of cameras to generate a 3D image of a person, tracking the location of each mole and blemish. When the first machines were installed in Australia 2017 as part of a separate project, a glowing press release said the tech would ' revolutionise melanoma detection '. That revolution is not yet here. In a study published earlier this year in JAMA Dermatology, researchers found adding the cameras to usual care led to a lot more lesions being cut out from volunteers' skin – but no more melanoma being detected compared to standard skin checks. And the scanners added $945 per patient in healthcare costs. 'This study is like a cautionary tale,' said one leading melanoma researcher, working on a related project and granted anonymity to speak freely about the trial. 'These are very costly devices. And they might not work if you don't implement it properly. And you're just wasting lots of money and potentially doing harm.' 'It does present a challenge for us going forward,' said Professor David Whiteman, a researcher at QIMR Berghofer and co-author of the study. 'It does temper the enthusiasm a little for just how we go about dealing with skin cancer and its detection in Australia.'
