Is this new EU-funded skin cancer screening device a game changer?

Cancer cases are rising in Europe. According to EU data, approximately four per cent of all new cancer diagnoses in 2020 were melanoma, the sixth most frequently occurring form of cancer.

Barriers to early detection - patients presenting late, delays in patient consultations and limited access to dermatology appointments - are a concern, especially in countries where public healthcare pathways rely on general practitioners triaging patients before referral.

Medical experts argue that early diagnosis is essential for better skin cancer management.

With the help of EU funds, Bdetect, a medical equipment startup, has launched a portable early detection device, based on technology developed by researchers at the University of Latvia.

The technology uses different coloured lights to determine whether a skin lesion is malignant or benign and aims to simplify skin cancer detection. The wireless, handheld device allows GPs to carry out quick routine screenings in their practices with the click of a button.

Emīlija Vija Ploriņa, a researcher and PhD Student based at the University of Latvia's Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, told Euronews that the survival rate for the final stage of melanoma is less than five per cent while in the first stage, it is almost 100 per cent.

Melanomas occur when the skin cells responsible for producing the pigments that give the skin colour, spread to other parts of the skin. While the exact cause of melanoma is unclear, most melanomas form after overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. 

The sun or artificial sources of sunlight like tanning devices emit UV rays, however, melanomas can also appear on parts of the body that are not usually exposed to the sun. 

Fair-skinned people are more likely to