Skin cancer remains a pervasive and growing challenge in modern medicine. With millions of new cases diagnosed annually, clinicians grapple with the dual priorities of accurately identifying malignancies while minimizing unnecessary procedures, patient anxiety, and health-care costs.
Much of dermatologic care relies on manual documentation still—handwritten notes, body diagrams, and two-dimensional photographs—that can be inconsistent, difficult to reproduce, and disconnected from longitudinal workflows. In a specialty defined by visual assessment and change over time, this under-digitized approach introduces variability and operational inefficiencies that can affect both clinical decision-making and continuity of care.
Cutting-edge imaging technologies are rapidly transforming how we screen for, document, and monitor skin lesions, and two recent studies spotlight just how innovative the field has become. From clinical dermatology to radiation oncology, researchers are exploring how comprehensive imaging can enhance patient care, streamline workflows, and support better outcomes.
A compelling new study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting evaluated the real-world impact of three-dimensional total body photography (3D TBP) on biopsy practices and diagnostic accuracy. Using the Vectra WB360 system—an imaging platform that captures the entire skin surface in high-resolution 3D—investigators retrospectively reviewed thousands of patient encounters to measure how this technology influenced clinical decision-making.
The results were promising: 3D TBP was associated with improved detection of malignant lesions and a meaningful reduction in the number of unnecessary biopsies, especially for nonmelanoma skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. In this cohort, the use of 3D imaging led to a 35% decrease in biopsies per encounter, largely driven by fewer benign and premalignant lesions being sampled, while the “hit rate” for malignancies identified per biopsy improved significantly. Importantly, the most pronounced gains were seen with nonmelanoma skin cancers, where malignancy detection per biopsy improved by 17% and biopsies were reduced by 14%.
These findings underscore the potential for advanced imaging not only to refine the clinician’s eye but also to reduce patient burden associated with invasive procedures. While melanoma remains a central focus of many TBP applications, this study highlights how 3D whole-body imaging may be especially valuable for nonmelanoma skin cancers—conditions that collectively account for the majority of skin cancer cases and represent a significant portion of dermatologic workload.
Across the clinical spectrum, another group of researchers has explored the feasibility of using total body photography as a documentation tool in superficial radiation therapy (SXRT) for skin lesions. Traditional methods for marking treatment sites—such as hand-drawn tracings or two-dimensional photographs—can fall short when patients return for subsequent treatments or long-term follow-up. In a study published in the Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences, investigators assessed whether total body photography could provide a reliable longitudinal record of lesion locations and patient setup in SXRT. Their work included a retrospective audit of patients treated with superficial radiation and a prospective study involving mock lesions on volunteers, demonstrating that 3D imaging systems may capture detailed and reproducible records that surpass conventional 2D approaches.
Together, these studies illustrate how total body photography—especially when leveraging 3D technology—can serve multiple roles across dermatologic and oncologic care. Whether improving biopsy accuracy or enhancing radiation treatment documentation, TBP represents an exciting frontier in digital medicine. At a time when much of skin cancer care still relies on manual notes, 2D images, and fragmented records, these findings underscore the urgent need for greater digital integration across the care continuum.
In upcoming posts, we’ll explore each study in depth: breaking down methodologies, clinical implications, limitations, and what these innovations mean for patients and providers navigating the complexities of skin cancer care.
-The MetaOptima Team
Contact us at info@metaoptima.com to meet at the conference or follow us on social media. We look forward to seeing you there!