Skin cancer detector deployed in Scotland

Edingburg, Scotland -- A handheld scanner called "MoleMate" has been introduced in Scotland to combat the country's rising incidence of skin cancer.

Developed in England, MoleMate instantly determines if a suspicious growth is cancerous and should accelerate the detection of the disease in its early stages when it is most treatable.

"They are used a lot in Australia, which has a big problem with skin cancer, and I expect screening like this will become much more popular over here," Edinburgh nurse Carolyn Dawson told The Scotsman Sunday after undergoing an checkup at a dermatologist.

Despite its reputation of gloomy weather, Scotland is a hotbed of skin cancer due to the genetic disposition of its population. About 7,000 new cases are diagnosed in Scotland and England each year, the newspaper said.

MoleMate uses light waves that penetrate the outer layer of the skin and detect changes in color, blood flow and pigment that could indicate trouble.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.