Assessing Skin Cancer Using Epidermal Genetic Information Retrieved by Adhesive Patch Skin Surface Sampling.

The detection of melanoma can be challenging. Many patients have clinically equivocal lesions in cosmetically sensitive areas or have multiple suspicious lesions. Epidermal genetic information retrieval is a noninvasive diagnostic method involving the application of adhesive tape onto the skin's surface to recover genomic material from the epidermis. This genomic material can then be used in assays to determine gene expression profiles. Studies have shown the potential of this technology to aid clinicians in differentiating between melanomas and nevi. Although this technology is not meant to replace a biopsy, it can help guide the decision whether to biopsy.