The fight against skin cancer is entering a new phase with the launch of Dermazoom, a cutting-edge medical diagnostic center featuring an advanced skin scanner. Powered by AI, this technology can analyze suspicious moles for skin cancer within milliseconds, providing patients with instant results and helping to reduce dermatologists’ workloads.
Skin cancer is a growing issue: cases are increasing, treatment costs are skyrocketing, and staffing shortages are worsening due to high burnout rates among young doctors. This has led to more patients per hospital, lengthening waiting lists, costly medications, and intensive nursing care needs (the later skin cancer is detected, the more invasive the treatment required). Additionally, patients themselves often face work absences, creating financial strains for employers and coworkers.
Fortunately, technology is stepping in to help. Dr. Margrit Brinkmann, who has run her namesake clinic in Nieuwegein, Netherlands, for 25 years, recently installed an impressive new device next to her renowned dermatology center. This advanced skin scanner, developed by Canfield Scientific—a leader in medical imaging technology—is one of only 35 such devices across Europe. “These are mostly used for research, but we’re using it for diagnostics, specifically for detecting skin cancer,” says Brinkmann.
No spot goes unnoticed
The Vectra WB360 (where “WB” stands for “Whole Body”) is equipped with 92 high-resolution digital cameras that capture detailed images of all sides of a patient’s body, zooming in up to 200 times. The scanning process itself takes mere milliseconds, ensuring that no mole, spot, or pimple goes undetected. A combination of multimodal AI models then analyzes the images, quickly highlighting possible melanomas or other spots that need attention from a dermatologist.
The goal of the device is to detect skin cancer at a very early stage, significantly improving the likelihood of successful treatment. Traditionally, dermatologists use handheld scanners, either digital or manual, to search for melanomas and other concerning spots—a slower, more error-prone process since each spot must be examined individually.
Needle in a haystack
Brinkmann describes identifying melanoma among ordinary moles as like finding a needle in a haystack. “As a doctor, you have to make choices. If a patient has a hundred moles, it’s not feasible to check every single one. With this device, we capture them all in one go.” However, she stresses that the physician is ultimately responsible for the final diagnosis.
This technology couldn’t have come at a better time. Even before its official launch, Brinkmann points to worrisome statistics from the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL). Between 2017 and 2027, the number of Dutch skin cancer cases is projected to rise by 35%, while melanoma cases—the most aggressive form of skin cancer—are expected to increase by 53%. “The roots of these numbers lie in the 1980s and 1990s, when more people began booking sunny vacations, often without using adequate sunscreen,” she explains.
‘I can’t bear to see sunbathers’
Brinkmann finds it disheartening to see people basking in the sun without protection. “Because of the severe cases I see in my clinic, I can hardly bear watching people lying on the beach for hours.”
The costs of treating skin cancer are expected to reach 1.35 billion euros by 2030. “Every year, 800 people die from melanoma—a figure that has doubled since 1990. Meanwhile, there’s a critical shortage of medical staff, placing immense pressure on healthcare,” she says, voicing her concerns.
“This technology reduces wait times and removes much of the time-consuming diagnostic work from dermatologists’ hands. As a result, skin cancer care becomes more accessible, and we alleviate pressure on hospitals and specialists.” The aim is twofold: dermatologists gain more time for actual treatment, and early detection enables treatment to begin sooner, improving patients’ chances of recovery.
Resembling an airport body scanner
The device, taking up most of Dermazoom’s examination room, resembles a body scanner at airport security. It’s similarly quick, though unlike at the airport, patients need to undress for the scan. All data collected remains anonymous: identifying features like tattoos and non-medical marks are removed, and the data is stored in anonymized segments.
The AI models powering the device were developed primarily in-house by Canfield and trained on extensive sets of anonymized data. This data comes largely from research conducted by world-renowned dermato-oncologist Peter Soyer. Since 2018, more than 6,000 participants have been photographed for this research, generating around 257,000 images—about 28 terabytes of data.
World-renowned Australian researcher
The launch of this machine at Brinkmann’s new clinic was momentous enough to bring Soyer from the University of Queensland in Australia to the Netherlands. For Soyer, who is originally Austrian, this visit provided an opportunity to speak with Margrit Brinkmann—originally from Germany—in their native language and discuss their shared field. Skin cancer research holds a prominent place in Australia’s medical agenda. Unsurprising for a country where certain regions receive 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and the population is largely fair-skinned.
“As I see it, we’re moving toward a future where every citizen over a certain age undergoes a scan like this,” says Soyer, recently honored with the prestigious Australian Eureka Award for his research.
He emphasizes that such scans should always be voluntary. Still, both Soyer and Brinkmann—who have seen the devastating effects of skin cancer countless times—agree: “This really should be part of basic health insurance.” Although this isn’t yet the case, Brinkmann mentions she is in talks with health insurers. “Some have already reconsidered. In the long run, this would save a lot of money.”
High-risk patients only for now
Currently, Dermazoom’s skin scanner is intended only for high-risk patients, either due to fair skin or having more than 100 moles. A doctor’s referral is required, making up a potential target group of around 250,000 high-risk individuals in the Netherlands.
It’s worth noting that the adjacent Dr. Brinkmann Clinic operates independently of Dermazoom. Diagnosis can be followed by treatment at any facility, not necessarily Dr. Brinkmann’s. Besides Nieuwegein, there is also a scanner at Dermazoom’s facility in northerly Assen. The goal is to place these devices in several other locations across the country, though specific sites have not yet been confirmed. “This technology will help keep skin cancer care accessible and affordable, sparing patients from long waits for a diagnosis.”
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