The purpose of this research study is to determine if a very sensitive chemistry lab analyzer can be used to smell a skin cancer (like melanoma) similar to some dogs.
Types of skin cancer, like melanoma, are likely to spread and are becoming increasingly common. At this time, healthcare providers look at patient's skin and remove a sample of suspicious areas of the skin (biopsy) to test for cancer. This research study will inspect cotton and cloth swabs of normal skin and suspicious areas of the skin that are going to be biopsied just before the biopsy. The swabs will be looked at with a very sensitive chemistry lab analyzer to see if the lab analyzer can confirm conventional lab test findings.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
Cleanse an area of unafflicted (control) skin with a cotton 2 x 2 dampened with saline.
Cleanse a suspicious lesion (potential melanoma) with a saline cotton swab.
This intervention follows the standard of care for patients with a suspicious skin lesion (potential melanoma) the physician plans to biopsy. The alcohol swab used to prep the site will be stored for testing rather than discarded.
UF Health
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Compare the off line spectral analyses of saline and alcohol skin swabs of normal control, melanoma negative and melanoma positive skin biopsies.
Determine if the melanomas have unique identifying spectra that might be applied to noninvasive melanoma skin cancer screening in lieu of taking a biopsy
Time frame: 1 day
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Cleanse an area of unafflicted (control) skin with an alcohol swab.