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Melafind

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  • Post
    • October 4, 2011 at 12:16 am
    jaredmiller16
    Participant

      Just saw this on the news. Has any of your derms talked about it? www.melasciences.com

      Just saw this on the news. Has any of your derms talked about it? www.melasciences.com

      I thought this was a dream come true! Especially for those with several atypical moles, such as myself. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of normal moles I have. My body is covered with weird looking moles. I sometimes feel like an idiot when I go to the derm because I stress and sweat about a new change in a mole, but it always turns out to be fine (except for the one HE found and it was a newer mole).  My moles are notorious for change, but its never anything like shape, size, border…Etc, However, I think this tool would give me more of a peace of mind.

      Funny thing is,  I talked to my derm about it and he was not a huge fan! Do you think its because it will cut the $$ with the amount of his biopsy's. He created a little program of his own that does serial screening for patients like myself with high risk factors. His office basically hounds me every six months to come in for a screening. At first, I was kinda annoyed, but he then told me they have not lost a patient who participates in the screening for 15 years! All the melanomas they have caught were in their early stages. After what happened to my mom, I stopped getting annoyed.

      But, I was kinda bothered that he would never consider such a great device! This could catch more Melanomas In Stiu…

      What do you think?

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    • Replies
        • October 4, 2011 at 12:42 am
        lhaley
        Participant

          My derm also isn't a fan of melafind.  I know that my derm is so busy that he now only sees patients that already have at least one primary and it still is hard to get in every 3 months.

          If this is the melafind that I talked to him a few months ago, he also talked about how expensive it was and a gp could not usually afford it. 

          I have gone every 3 months for the last 25 years. I've had multiple primaries and would rather trust my derm and from my own checks. 

          Linda

          • October 4, 2011 at 12:42 am
          lhaley
          Participant

            My derm also isn't a fan of melafind.  I know that my derm is so busy that he now only sees patients that already have at least one primary and it still is hard to get in every 3 months.

            If this is the melafind that I talked to him a few months ago, he also talked about how expensive it was and a gp could not usually afford it. 

            I have gone every 3 months for the last 25 years. I've had multiple primaries and would rather trust my derm and from my own checks. 

            Linda

              • October 4, 2011 at 12:54 am
              jaredmiller16
              Participant

                Seeing as I have a good track with this guy, I would rather not leave his practice to find someone who did practice with the melafind, but I do not know if that was crazy.

                • October 4, 2011 at 12:54 am
                jaredmiller16
                Participant

                  Seeing as I have a good track with this guy, I would rather not leave his practice to find someone who did practice with the melafind, but I do not know if that was crazy.

                • October 4, 2011 at 2:37 am
                MichaelFL
                Participant

                  Melafind had a 98% success rate in detecting melanoma which is higher than dermatologists, and much higher than a family doctor. In studies, Melafind correctly predicted 112 of 114 eligible melanomas for a "sensitivity" rate of 98%.

                  In relation to melafind, which the FDA and derms seemed to be fighting since the beginning, I, feel the same as you and I to wonder if derms would not want such a device as it will do two things: eliminate unneeded biopsies which will affect their bottom line, and put an end to dermatologists that will do biopsy after biopsy just to make a payment on their Lambourgini. Or, wait-is that the same thing?

                  Here are the results to the melafind trial if you or anyone wants to read them:

                  http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT00434057?sect=X6015#outcome1

                  • October 4, 2011 at 2:37 am
                  MichaelFL
                  Participant

                    Melafind had a 98% success rate in detecting melanoma which is higher than dermatologists, and much higher than a family doctor. In studies, Melafind correctly predicted 112 of 114 eligible melanomas for a "sensitivity" rate of 98%.

                    In relation to melafind, which the FDA and derms seemed to be fighting since the beginning, I, feel the same as you and I to wonder if derms would not want such a device as it will do two things: eliminate unneeded biopsies which will affect their bottom line, and put an end to dermatologists that will do biopsy after biopsy just to make a payment on their Lambourgini. Or, wait-is that the same thing?

                    Here are the results to the melafind trial if you or anyone wants to read them:

                    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT00434057?sect=X6015#outcome1

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