New research shows that DermTech’s Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA) reduces cost while improving the care of patients with primary pigmented skin lesions suggestive of melanoma. The research appears in JAMA Dermatology.

The purpose of the study was to assess the cost implications of using the pigmented lesion assay (PLA) gene expression test using real-world utility data versus the current pathway of visual assessment followed by biopsy and histopathologic assessment.

This cost savings analysis demonstrated reductions of $400-$600 per assessed pigmented lesion was achievable vs. the current histopathologic standard of care, based on typical reimbursement rates for the PLA. Savings were primarily driven by reduction in initial surgical biopsies and excisions and reduced stage-related treatment costs from missing fewer melanomas.

“The increasing strain on our healthcare system and the need for cutting edge technologies our patients deserve, to help detect melanoma early when the prognosis is excellent, highlight the value of the pigmented lesion assay. This test transforms the current pathway of diagnosing melanomas from one that is invasive and subjective to one that is non-invasive, objective, more accurate and significantly cheaper. Cost savings are important, but finding melanoma early is priceless,” says study author Daniel Siegel, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn and former president of the American Academy of Dermatology, in a news release.