Smartphone applications that use algorithms to assess the risk for skin cancer appear to have poor and variable performance, according to a systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies.

“Smartphone apps which claim to identify skin cancer are not yet reliable. They may miss many skin cancers,” Jon Deeks, PhD, professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, told Healio. “App users are not being informed about this risk and should always get medical assessment of any moles which they are concerned about, regardless of what the apps say.”