Revolutionary new AI smartphone app can spot deadly skin cancers

By LUKE CHAFER, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 01:00, 21 June 2026 | Updated: 01:10, 21 June 2026 Deadly skin cancers can now be diagnosed by a revolutionary new smartphone app that is predicted to slash NHS waiting lists. The health service has used an earlier version of the technology, known as Derm AI, to detect 20,000 cancers in more than 230,000 patients. However, it required a special camera lens attachment which the latest version – which has just received the highest level of medical device approval in Europe – does not need. It means patients will be able to get a clinical-grade check in seconds at a pharmacy or GP, without needing a hospital appointment. The software, developed by British healthcare firm Skin Analytics, has been trained on thousands of images with known diagnoses. It uses artificial intelligence to analyse photographs of moles and skin lesions to identify patterns linked to skin cancer and other conditions.  Those of no concern are definitively marked as such, while suspect lesions are flagged for clinical review. The software has been found to be 99.8 per cent effective in detecting melanomas. DERM achieves a 99.8 per cebt accuracy rate in ruling out cancer, surpassing the performance of dermatologists, who typically achieve 98.9 per cent This unprecedented capability offers patients faster results, reducing months-long waiting times for critical skin cancer checks to just days Every year about 20,000 people develop melanoma – the most aggressive skin cancer, which causes more than 2,300 deaths annually. Most cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or sunbeds. Last year, rates of the cancer reached a record high in the UK, with new diagnoses having increased by almost a third in just a decade. The main sign of the condition is either a new mole or one that has changed size or shape. Melanomas can appear anywhere on the body but are more common in areas that are often exposed to the sun. Dr Alexandra Kemp, consultant dermatologist and cancer clinical director at Amersham Hospital, said: 'I've assessed thousands of skin lesions for potential skin cancer. 'Since we first employed Derm in our skin cancer pathway, there has been a great impact on our clinical capacity, and it has made a real difference to the efficiency of the care we can provide.  'When it comes to skin cancer, we know early diagnosis means better outcomes. 'To see this technology available on a smartphone, with no specialist equipment required, creates huge possibilities for expanding patient access and enabling earlier diagnosis.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.