Comprehensive Summary
This article discusses the effectiveness of noninvasively diagnosing nonmelanoma skin cancer, or NMSC, via reflectance confocal microscopy. Ruini conducted a narrative review of recent literature and current guidelines regarding the use of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in the diagnosis and monitoring of nonmelanoma skin cancers. They summarized diagnostic and imaging methods, and reported the associated outcomes. RCM was shown to have a higher diagnostic accuracy and reduced the number of excisions necessary for diagnosis. It was also able to construct a visualization of tumor architecture, morphology, and vasculature for further analysis without excision.
Outcomes and Implications
RCM provides a noninvasive but highly accurate method of tumor analysis. Invasive methods, such as biopsies, can pose risks such as infections, and can deter patients from seeking a diagnosis. A method such as this one could lead patients to seeking diagnosis earlier and extend the treatment timeline, as well as improve treatment monitoring and overall patient care. The authors suggest combining noninvasive techniques and proper training to promote this method’s integration into dermatology.