A team of dermatologists in the United States has uncovered the smallest known case of skin cancer, measuring a mere 0.65mm.
The breakthrough was made when a woman visited a skin care specialist with concerns about a red spot under her eye that had persisted for years.
A deadliest form of skin cancer
During the examination, another blemish was discovered on the woman's right cheek, which was identified as melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - by experts at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
The minuscule spot, almost invisible to the naked eye, has been granted a Guinness World Record.
The discovery was made in January, and a judge from Guinness World Records presented each team member with a certificate on May 1. Dr. Alexander Witkowski, an assistant professor of dermatology at OHSU, who identified the cancer, explained that this finding means the melanoma could be treated before it had the opportunity to spread to other parts of the body.
The team used a combination of dermoscopy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy to identify the micro-skin cancer.
The news about the discovery has been peer-reviewed and published in the US government's National Library of Medicine.
Woman expresses gratitude
The woman who was diagnosed with melanoma expressed gratitude that it was caught before it could grow or spread, crediting being in the "right place at the right time...with the right technology."
