Because one in five Americans will develop a form of skin cancer during the course of their lifetimes, skin cancer genomic testing has been on the rise. And not just in the U.S., either.
According to a recent report in The Washington Post, China recently spent $9 billion on genetic testing technology.
“I’m very frustrated at how aggressively China is investing in this space while the U.S. is not moving with the same kind of purpose,” said Eric Schadt, director of the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai. “China has established themselves as a really competitive force.”
Over the past two decades, China, though massive industrialization, has transformed itself into an economic superpower. Because of their new financial strength, they can focus much more on cutting edge technologies like skin cancer genomic testing, genetic technology, and other major healthcare issues.
“The U.S. system has more dexterity and agility than the Chinese system,” said Denis Simon, executive vice chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China. “But the learning curve in China is very powerful, and the Chinese are moving fast.”
Fortunately, according to GEN, the new year will see an increase in noninvasive cancer screening as well as additional advancements in skin cancer genomic testing in the United States.
Because the data pool for genomic testing has grown, and continues to significantly grow, physicians better understand the relationship between various diseases and their patients’ genetic predispositions. And across the U.S. in 2017, there will be more advancements in gene editing tools and technology, new wearable data streams, greater use of pharmacogenomics, and genomic testing to improve the nation’s health.
Eventually, the medical community hopes to create custom treatments for individuals based on their specific DNA data, which will lead to health improvements across the globe.
Because cancer is so unfortunately prevalent, it’s essential that anyone who has reason to believe they have a skin condition visits a dermatopathology specialist with diagnostic expertise. While dermatologists can often diagnose common skin disorders, dermatopathology services are often required to diagnose more serious skin diseases.
Even if your skin feels and looks normal, anyone with a predisposition to skin cancer should visit a dermatologist annually to make sure there are no problems.
