Total Body Photography Helps Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies

Dr. Halpern used a night-sky analogy to describe how patients should view their photos. If they become familiar with their own "constellations," they will notice when something new appears in the field, or if something other than the North Star is shining brightest. The patient's job is to notice the obvious changes; the physician's job is to find the subtle changes, he said.

As for which patients are the best candidates for TBP, he suggested using it for those with dysplastic nevi who have undergone many excisions and those with a familial or personal history of melanoma. No prospective data exist to guide how often patients should be seen, but every 6 months has been a good interval in Dr. Halpern's experience. "We do find the vast majority of melanomas in surveillance with these patients. … This is one of the major reasons for doing total body photograph."

Patients who receive copies of their photos, and are asked to do monthly self-exams, are more likely to do the exams and be effective in doing so, said Dr. Allan C. Halpern. Daphne Demas/MSKCC Dermatology