WCD 2019 | 'Sunrays are not evil, but sun-exposure must be kept under-control'

At the WCD2019 a relationship of Harald Kittler about Advanced Dermoscopy.

“Skin cancer diagnosis has changed throughout time and has taken steps further, also thanks to dermatoscopy, also digital dermatoscopy”, declares Harald Kittler, professor and dermatologist in Vienna.

His special clinical interests are in dermatoscopy of pigmented skin lesions, but his main research interest is on digital dermatoscopy and follow-up of pigmented skin lesions and computer assisted digital dermatoscopy.

“We can now detect the presence of a cancer even at a very early stage, and when the patient’s life is still not in danger”, says Prof. Kittler. When it comes to melanoma, age does not make a difference anymore as skin cancer could affect anyone, even though it happens to affect more younger patients.

Finally, Dr. Kittler expresses himself concerning the damage of sunrays: for example, even though there has been found a strict correlation between melanoma and sun, not all melanomas are caused by sunrays. “The sun is not evil, exposure must be kept undercontrol, but avoid the sun is not the right choice as our skin also needs it and needs its vitamin D”, says Prof. Kittler.