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Integrating innovative opportunities presented by ongoing skin cancer research can help advance clinical practice.
Practitioners have recently called for improved integration and communication among medical disciplines, which could potentially benefit implementing clinical pathways, dedicated treatment units, and shared training paths in dermatosurgery for a more cohesive and comprehensive patient care approach. The urgent recommendation follows a comprehensive 20-question survey which was designed to assess the knowledge and utilization of dermatologic diagnostic advancements among plastic surgeons in various European countries. Giuseppe Diluiso, MD, and colleagues gathered information from 29 plastic surgeons in nine European countries, and observed a significant disparity between diagnostic technologies and their practical implementation in surgical procedures as well as cognitive and applicative gaps. The survey results showed electrical impedance spectroscopy and multispectral imaging, awareness was limited to 6.9%, with no surgeons utilizing them. High-frequency ultrasound had higher awareness at 72.4%, but only 34.5% incorporated it into their practice, indicating a notable application challenge, according to the study. Addressing these discrepancies provides may initiate collaborative efforts between units and facilitating knowledge exchange among diverse specialists, in turn, advancing clinical practice by integrating the innovative opportunities presented by ongoing skin cancer research.