Your smartphone camera may soon help detect skin cancer

Skin cancer was the cause of over 10,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2016. Now IBM is developing a new technology that'll allow your phone to help detect skin cancer.

IBM researchers report the phone will work with dermatoscopes, which are devices attachable to cameras to better see the damaged areas of the skin.

The images will then be assessed by an analytics service, which can recognize and reliably identify the characteristics of disease.

According to the study, this technology was more accurate than eight expert dermatologists. Nonetheless, the system is not meant to replace doctors. Instead it is expected to help them detect melanomas and to work as a stand-in for when dermatologists aren't readily available.

The device ranges in cost from $100 to $1,400 and is not yet available to the public.

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