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Adding 3D Total Body Photography to Usual Care Increases Rate of Skin Excisions

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 26, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2025 -- The addition of three-dimensional (3D) total-body photography (TBP) and sequential digital dermoscopy imaging (SDDI) via teledermatology to usual care increases the number and rate of skin excisions, according to a study published online March 26 in JAMA Dermatology.

H. Peter Soyer, M.D., from the Frazer Institute at the University of Queensland Dermatology Research Centre in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues examined clinical outcomes between 314 patients at high risk for melanoma receiving usual clinical care (156 participants) versus usual care plus 3D TBP and SDDI (158 participants) every six months via teledermatology in a randomized clinical trial.

The researchers found that the mean number of lesions of any type excised per person was significantly higher in the intervention group versus control group (5.73 versus 3.99). Compared with the control group, fewer melanomas were detected in the intervention group (24 [35 percent] versus 43 [64 percent]), with a lower incidence rate (2.03 versus 3.62). The number of melanomas diagnosed per person at the 12-month follow-up did not differ significantly between the groups (0.08 and 0.16 in the intervention and control groups, respectively; P = 0.08). The hazard ratio for risk of subsequent melanomas was 0.63 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.34 to 1.14; P = 0.13). The number of keratinocyte cancers diagnosed at 12-month follow-up was 0.86 and 0.42 in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P = 0.01). The hazard ratio for risk of subsequent keratinocyte cancers was 2.08 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.33 to 3.27; P < 0.001). The average benign lesion excision rate at one year was 2.01 and 1.39 in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P = 0.02). The hazard ratio for risk of subsequent benign lesion excisions was 1.50 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.16 to 1.93; P < 0.001).

"Adding sequential 3D TBP-SDDI skin examinations to a patient's usual care in a teledermatology setting led to an increase in excisions among patients at high risk for melanoma," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the medical device and medical technology industries; one author holds a related patent.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted March 2025

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