Diagnostics Using Non-Invasive Technologies in Dermatological Oncology

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Skin tumors are appearing with increasing frequency worldwide. To face this health problem, new technologies and devices have been developed in recent years, allowing the acquisition of information about healthy and neoplastic skin, unavailable until a few years ago. Dermatologists need, therefore, continuous training and updating to ensure adequate patient diagnosis and treatment. This article aims to review the currently available technologies for the screening, diagnosis, mapping and monitoring in dermatological oncology highlighting their applications, limitations and possible future perspectives. ABSTRACT: The growing incidence of skin cancer, with its associated mortality and morbidity, has in recent years led to the developing of new non-invasive technologies, which allow an earlier and more accurate diagnosis. Some of these, such as digital photography, 2D and 3D total-body photography and dermoscopy are now widely used and others, such as reflectance confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography, are limited to a few academic and referral skin cancer centers because of their cost or the long training period required. Health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with skin cancer need to know the implications and benefits of new non-invasive technologies for dermatological oncology. In this article we review the characteristics and usability of the main diagnostic imaging methods available today.