Good eyesight alone is not enough for dermatologists to spot mela-noma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, and up to 30 per cent of the cases can go undetected, a leading doctor has warned.
Timely detection is critical for patients' survival, but dermatologists are only about 70 per cent accurate in recognising malignant melanoma, according to Joseph Pace, general secretary of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).
"By utilising our eyesight and a good lens alone, we may expect to miss a considerable number of melanomas and also take biopsies from large numbers of people unnecessarily," he said.
The advent of dermoscopy - using a small microscope that reveals a number of fairly distinct features below the skin surface - has reduced this margin of error and highly trained dermoscopists can attain 80 per cent accuracy in diagnosis.
However, since these professionals are few and far between, a number of computerised systems have evolved, primarily to offer expert evaluation where this is not available.
Recent data also confirms that even experts will profit from the availability of these high technology systems, which is said to be almost 93 per cent accurate in diagnosing melanoma, complementing the doctor's initial assessment.
The computer technology examines 47 different parameters in the mole under test - compared with five to seven seen by the naked eye - and then compares its findings with those of an increasing database of melanomas. The system is set up in such a way that it is exceedingly unlikely for it to miss a case of melanoma.
"Used effectively, computerised digital dermoscopy will catch an even greater number of melanomas than the human eye in their very early, and therefore curable, stage," Dr Pace said.
"This system is cost efficient since it reduces the number of benign lesions that are taken out 'just in case' significantly, reducing costs because there will be fewer operations and fewer pathological examinations - thus avoiding a bigger trauma for patients."
As in other countries, the incidence of melanoma in Malta has increased substantially from 12 cases in 1993 to 60 in 2008.
Dr Pace said the five-year survival rate if the cancer spread to the lymph nodes stood between 30 and 40 per cent while there was only a 12 per cent five-year survival rate when melanoma spread to vital organs, like the brain or liver.
On the other hand, if caught early a simple surgical procedure cures the disease with a five-year survival rate of about 95 per cent.
Despite increased awareness, a tan is still coveted and Dr Pace said that unfortunately, the "it can't happen to me" mentality prevailed until a friend or family member was struck with melanoma.
There are also those who believe occasional sunbathing without protection is acceptable, but there is evidence that occasional sunburn may be important in the cause of melanoma, especially in lighter skinned individuals.
Short periods of intense exposure to UV radiation, such as sunbathing, are associated with a twofold increase in melanoma risk.
"Less is better but always with sun protection and ideally never in the early afternoon," he stressed.
Awareness campaigns have helped in drumming home the message, but the pale-is-beautiful promotion is not exactly coveted so Dr Pace wants to maintain Melanoma Monday 365 days a year instead of having it as a one-off event.
He plans to offer free melanoma screening clinics once a month throughout the year using the computerised digital dermoscopy system.
The owners of the only such machine on the island have offered the use of this equipment for these sessions and a number of dermatologists will also give their time gratuitously to perform these examinations.
This is being done to support the efforts of Melanoma Monday, organised by the Maltese Association of Dermatology and Venereology and Boffa Hospital's Dermatology Department, in conjunction with the EADV.
Details of these free sessions will be released shortly, and referral will by the family doctor who is best placed to decide on this matter.
Particular attention is paid to any dark moles that have shown recent changes in any way. In addition, those considered at a higher risk should be assessed frequently (every two years at least) by a dermatologist utilising the best methods of diagnosis available.
These include people with a large number of dark moles, those who have had melanoma or where this has occurred in one of their close relatives, and those who have had an organ transplant.
"Our holy grail is detection as early as possible."