Mole-Mapper Shows Early Signs Of Skin Cancer

High-Tech Polaroid Has Similar Effect, Doctor Says

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- It may be a little cloudy out today, but the sun can still be a danger.

That's why doctors are turning to high-tech tools to track moles and help prevent potential skin cancer early on.

Taylor Landin's fair skin and love of the sun is putting him at risk for skin cancer, a disease that has already hit his grandfather.

"You hear the word cancer because he had skin cancer, and it's kind of an eye-opener," Landin says.

Now there's a new tool to help doctors keep track of moles and other suspicious spots. It's called mole-mapping.

"It gives a 30-times magnification of moles, something we are simply not capable of doing with a handheld magnifier or with our eyes alone," dermatologist Adelaide Hebert says.

Using digital technology, the mole-mapper takes a high-resolution picture of the mole and notes its precise location on the body. Images are stored and can be compared over time.

This gives doctors a better look at any color changes or irregular borders -- signs that its possibly cancerous.

"I have picked up moles earlier with this technology than I would have on my own," Hebert says.

But while it is effective, it is also expensive.

Dermatologist Kathy Fields says she achieves the same kind of results with a slightly lower-tech version, a high-resolution Polaroid camera.

"I can get very close, so I get great magnification and we can follow the tiniest details," Fields says. "If you describe a mole and put a number in a chart you have not much to go on. But if you have a picture, you know in a moment if there's been some sort of change."

Regardless of whether you use a low-tech or high-tech system, it's a great way of keeping track of your skin's health and avoiding potentially deadly cancers.

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