Computerized visual imaging is also being studied, but its usefulness will most likely be limited to detecting change in pigmented lesions over time. In lieu of computer imaging, clinical photography is considered suitable to record baseline lesions and to detect changes over time in high-risk individuals. Although biopsies were formerly done only by surgically trained specialists, an increasing number of internists are now doing these procedures. A biopsy of a suspicious mole should excision of the entire lesion, Halpern cautioned. Partial biopsies are not recommended since one could sample the benign portion of a complex lesion and thus fail to make an accurate diagnosis.
Survival rates illustrate the importance of prompt diagnosis.
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