Stunned to learn that UK doctors were far more likely to misdiagnoses skin cancers in those with black or brown skin, University of Bristol medical students Mariana Wickramarachchi, Harvey Hill and Elizabeth Maregere decided to act.
Their start-up DermSpectrum is building the UK’s most diverse and advanced skin image bank, to teach students and clinicians how to diagnose skin conditions regardless of colour.
In the US, 5-year skin cancer survival rates are 70% for black people and 92% for white people. In the UK, equivalent studies are not widely available – but a study of GPs found they were much more likely to misdiagnose melanomas in dark skin.
The students hope that improving early diagnosis of skin cancer in black and brown people will save lives, improve equality and lighten the load on the NHS. Upskilling students before they qualify is key. After surveying students at UK medical schools, they found trainee doctors were nearly twice as confident at diagnosing conditions on white skin compared to skin of colour.