Approximately 9,500 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer today and about 200 will find out they have melanoma. This was a disturbing fact shared at the opening of Enhancing Melanoma Detection with Precision Dermatology, a Zoom panel discussion featuring Dermatologist Dr. Julie Russak, Dermtech President and CEO John Dobak, MD and L’Oréal’s Nathalie Gerschtein, president of L'Oréal Consumer Products Division, North America.

Skin cancer and melanoma is found through annual skin checks; dermatologists scan the body for suspicious moles folllowing the ABCDE assessment methodology: asymmetry, border, color, diameter and evolution (or any change) in the mole.

For many patients, especially those at high risk, ABCDE can be lifesaving—when it leads to a surgical biopsy of a mole to see if it is melanoma. This historically has been the sole means of detection, albeit a somewhat invasive method as dermatologists need to make an incision into the skin.

But a non-invasive detection method developed by DermTech is impacting the category; DermTech has developed a method that uses adhesive patches that pull cells from the suspicious mole, which are then mailed to a lab for genomic testing.

The turnaround time with the DermTech Melanoma Test using its Smart Stickers is about the same as a standard biopsy, Dobak said. But there’s no healing needed since there is no incision, which dermatologists say can be a concern for some patients. In fact, some patients avoid getting checked for this very reason.

For some very high-risk patients, such as those with seborrheic keratosis who have many moles, there can be many incisions made over time and all over the body.

“Their skin looks like a battle ground,” Dr. Russak said during the July 11 panel discussion, which was moderated by Jenny Bailly of Allure.

The vast majority of moles never really need to be cut, Dobak said. A dermatologist can reduce the need for surgical incision 10-fold with the DermTech platform, he said.

On average, for every 25 surgical biopsies performed, one is positive for melanoma, according to DermTech. A DermTech test objectively measures genomic markers associated with melanoma within skin tissue samples. It does this at a level 10,000x closer than the traditional care pathway, such as a microscope or visual assessment, according to the La Jolla, CA-based company. DermTech says it is a reliable test because the absence of those markers indicates an extremely low likelihood that a mole is melanoma. And the presence of those markers also signals a high risk for melanoma, which helps the doctor make a more informed decision.

The process is simple and was demonstrated during the panel discussion by Russak—the sticker is pressed onto the mole and the dermatologist marks area of concern directly on the sticker before it is removed with cells attached for testing. The patch is applied four times as to gather ample cells, according to DermTech.

Russak called Dermtech’s test method “revolutionary.”

“It removes the fear factor from the patient,” she said.

DermTech invested seven years in development and testing, and there has also been considerable legwork to get dermatologists to swap out the scalpel for the sticker and change their processes.

“It was hard to get them to change their ways. That is a big change in how dermatology professional tests,” he said.

Now, the focus is on getting insurance companies on board.

During the panel discussion, Dobak said that consumers can help in that process by calling their insurance companies and asking for coverage.

Elevating Screening & Protection

During the hour-long panel discussion, speakers also emphasized key steps to reduce the rate of skin cancer, melanomas and melanoma deaths. Russak suggested elevating the skin cancer testing to the same level as other cancer screenings, like colonoscopies and mammograms.

Gerschtein of L’Oréal, and a DermTech board member, stressed the need for prevention with proper sun protection. After all, when melanoma is detected, the damage happened long before.

The L’Oréal executive emphasized the continued messaging about protection during summer holidays and everyday SPF use too.

“Changing habits take time,” Gerschtein said.

The experts also stressed the need for increased education among consumers especially those with darker complexions.

So, too is access to professionals.

For consumers in dermatology deserts, DermTech has an app that can take high-quality pictures of moles which are sent to its network of dermatologists for evaluation. If the mole meets the criteria, the dermatologist can order a DermTech kit that is sent to the consumer’s home. Through the app, the user is guided through the application process. A network doctor is sent the results.

Dobak of Dermtech called the testing “very objective” and said it could be used by primary care doctors or nurse practitioners. This could help get more patients on the road to the care they need.

DermTech's Developments

This Spring, NASDAQ-traded DermTech had its original research study published by SKIN: The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine. Daniel M. Siegel, MD, MS was the lead author. He is a nationally recognized reimbursement expert and a clinical professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and a former president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The study highlights the potential reduction in cost for commercial health insurance plans, in addition to a higher quality of care for patients and improved health outcomes, by incorporating the Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA), a component of the DermTech Melanoma Test, into the current care pathway of assessing pigmented skin lesions or moles suspicious for melanoma.

According to the study, PLA is used to identify high-risk lesions and help providers determine the next best treatment: either a biopsy and histopathologic evaluation or clinical surveillance of the lesion in question. Comparatively, the traditional care pathway for evaluating suspicious moles is visual assessment, which is subjective, followed by a potentially avoidable surgical biopsy and histopathologic assessment, according to the paper.

Earlier in 2022, DermTech welcomed Adelle Walker as vice president of consumer products. She brought more than 20 years of experience to DermTech, having led category-defining products at Allergan in both medical dermatology and aesthetics, SkinMedica, Candela Laser Systems and Senté Labs.

More recently, this month, DermTech joined the Corporate Council of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), a nonprofit research network with the mission to create, inspire and sustain research to prevent, treat and cure childhood skin disease by bringing together pediatric dermatologists for organized studies and collaborative initiatives. PeDRA is accelerating research and advancing development of new treatments for children living with dermatologic diseases. As a member of the corporate council, DermTech will contribute to the development and expansion of PeDRA’s research infrastructure.