[Podcast] Digital imaging and the current landscape of skin cancer care | Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson

Welcome to this podcast series Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson speaks with Dr Jeremy Hudson (Skin Cancer Doctor and Chair of Dermatology SI RACGP) about the current landscape of skin cancer care, including digital imaging and its impact on the work of GPs and skin cancer doctors.

Prof Wilkinson and Dr Hudson discuss how skin cancer care has changed recently and how it functions in practice today. Dr Hudson explains that the entire basis of detecting skin cancer is seeing a patient face-to-face, talking to the patient and using a dermatoscope, which continues to be the primary decision-making tool in skin cancer diagnosis.

Stronger magnification and a range of digital imaging tools - including artificial intelligence - have strengthened skin cancer care in recent years, helping doctors to diagnose skin cancers earlier. Despite this, technology is not a substitute for the diagnostic skills of GPs and skin cancer doctors who continue to be the workhorse of skin cancer detection.

But where is skin cancer care headed in the future for GPs and primary care skin cancer doctors? Dr Hudson describes how sequential imaging and artificial intelligence fit into clinical application and which patients would most benefit from these technologies. He talks about the problems of AI-bias and skills degradation for doctors.

Prof Wilkinson discusses pathways of care for high-risk patients and how screening and managing these patients might be changing.

Dr Hudson also speaks about the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Specific Interests (RACGP SI) Dermatology body and how GPs and skin cancer doctors can get involved.

If you are a general practitioner with a special interest in general dermatology and would like to have input at the national RACGP level, you are invited to join the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Specific Interests (RACGP SI) Dermatology body. This is a body of approximately 2,500 GPs who officially work under the RACGP as a grass-roots body to raise contemporary issues and assist with policy development. If you want to have direct input into the RACGP either raising issues or developing solutions, register for the RACGP SI Dermatology group: RACGP - RACGP Specific Interests.

Hear all this and much more in the full podcast below.

Listen to the full podcast now:

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson's clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Dr Jeremy Hudson works full time in Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery in Townsville, Queensland, and has extensive qualifications in the field, performing regular skin checks and a wide range of treatments including non-surgical therapies, basic excisions and complex flap and graft surgery. Dr Hudson strongly believes that patients deserve access to the best and latest advancements in skin cancer medicine. He also holds the position of Senior Lecturer at James Cook University, where he writes and teaches courses in skin cancer medicine, dermoscopy (skin cancer imaging), and advanced graft and flap surgery. He is currently developing a series of online written and video resources for skin cancer surgical training. Dr Hudson is an active member of several research and training organisations including the Dermatology Special Interests Group (RACGP), the Skin Cancer College of Australasia, and has assisted in research projects on surgical outcomes, histological sampling and tissue samples for cell line studies. He is a strong advocate of education for both patients and doctors, and has worked extensively in both paid and volunteer positions to deliver high quality care and raise local training standards.

Learn more in HealthCert's primary care certificate courses!