(Press-News.org) Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new approach for identifying individuals with skin cancer that combines genetic ancestry, lifestyle and social determinants of health using a machine learning model. Their model, more accurate than existing approaches, also helped the researchers better characterize disparities in skin cancer risk and outcomes.
Skin cancer is among the most common cancers in the United States, with more than 9,500 new cases diagnosed every day and approximately two deaths from skin cancer occurring every hour. One important component of reducing the burden of skin cancer is risk prediction, which utilizes technology and patient information to help doctors decide which individuals should be prioritized for cancer screening.
Traditional risk prediction tools, such as risk calculators based on family history, skin type and sun exposure, have historically performed best in people of European ancestry because they are more represented in the data used to develop these models. This leaves significant gaps in early detection for other populations, particularly those with darker skin, who are less likely to be of European ancestry. As a result, skin cancer in people of non-European ancestry is frequently diagnosed at later stages when it is more difficult to treat. As a consequence of later stage detection, people of non-European ancestry also tend to have worse overall outcomes from skin cancer.
To help correct this disparity, the researchers analyzed data from more than 400,000 participants in the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, a nationwide initiative aimed at building a diverse database of patient data to inform new, more inclusive studies on a variety of health conditions. By leveraging the participants in the All of Us program, the researchers were able to ensure the data they used had substantial representation from African, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and mixed-ancestry populations.
Key findings from the study include:
The new model includes both genetic and non-genetic determinants, including lifestyle choices, socioeconomic variables and medication usage to stratify individuals based on their likelihood of having skin cancer.
The model achieved 89% accuracy in identifying individuals with skin cancer across all populations, with 90% accuracy for individuals of European ancestry and 81% accuracy for people of non-European ancestry.
In a subset of participants who had genetic data but were missing data on lifestyle and social determinants of health, the model still retained 87% accuracy.
Genetic ancestry, especially the proportion of European ancestry, was a strong predictor of risk; individuals of European ancestry were at least 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer.
The new model is best framed as a clinical case-finding aid, meaning it can help identify people who should receive full-body skin exams from a dermatologist. This could help enable earlier diagnosis in individuals with darker skin tones, potentially alleviating current disparities in skin cancer outcomes. Additionally, their model may be adaptable to other diseases, paving the way for more equitable, personalized medicine for all.
The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Matteo D’Antonio, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, and Kelly A. Frazer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Frazer is also a member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. The research was supported by the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The researchers declare no competing interests.
END
Research alert: AI model powers skin cancer detection across diverse populations
2025-11-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Long-term poverty and rising unsecured debt in early adulthood each linked to higher risk of premature death
2025-11-10
November 10, 2025— Adults who experience poverty-level family income—whether sustained or intermittent—over two decades spanning young to mid-adulthood face a significantly higher risk of dying prematurely than those who are never in poverty, according to new research led by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. A companion study by the same research team finds that rising unsecured debt—such as credit card debt not tied to an asset—may be one mechanism linking early-life financial hardship to ...
A novel climate biostress model and sentinel system seeks to track global climate impacts
2025-11-10
NEW YORK, NY, November 10, 2025 – An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) has unveiled a groundbreaking conceptual model and integrative monitoring framework designed to reveal how climate change is stressing life across the planet. Their study, published this week in Cell Reports Sustainability, introduces the concept of the Climate BioStress model and proposes the adoption of an integrative Climate BioStress Sentinel System (CBS3), which could transform how researchers, policymakers, ...
Zero-cost, AI-driven digital detection identifies Alzheimer’s and related dementias without additional clinician time
2025-11-10
Few primary care practices are designed for the timely detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The limited time that primary care clinicians are able to spend with patients, the need to focus on the health problems which brought the patient to the clinic, as well as the stigma of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are major reasons for lack of recognition of the condition.
Researchers have demonstrated that a fully digital artificial intelligence zero-cost method for detecting dementia can be scaled across primary care clinics without ...
Suicide prevention program decreases risks, saves lives among people recently released from jail
2025-11-10
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A federally funded clinical trial to evaluate an intervention to prevent suicides among people recently released from jail reduced suicide attempts by 55%.
That’s according to a new study in JAMA Network Open led by researchers from Brown University and Michigan State University.
In the United States, one in five adults who attempts suicide has spent at least one night in jail in the year prior. With more than 10 million admissions per year and many stays of just a few days, jails touch a significant number of people at high risk for suicide who are not well connected with other support services. This ...
Evolution of firearm mortality as the leading cause of death in the US pediatric population
2025-11-10
About The Study: U.S. individuals ages 1 to 19 are now more likely to die by firearm injury than any other cause. While this national shift occurred in 2019, Alaska had already flipped as early as 2004. Over the past 2 decades, more states flipped to firearm mortality as the predominant cause of death in this age group, including nearly half of the states in the most recent era reviewed.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Michael L. Nance, MD, email nance@chop.edu.
To ...
Firearm homicide in pregnant women and state-level firearm ownership
2025-11-10
About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of homicides among women, state-level firearm ownership was significantly associated with all-cause and firearm-specific homicide among pregnant women, independent of state-level factors. These results suggest that homicide prevention interventions should focus on women, especially during the increased risk period of pregnancy.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ayesha Dholakia, MD, email ayesha.dholakia@childrens.harvard.edu.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.42447)
Editor’s ...
Child abuse and neglect rates in the U.S. are dropping, but disparities exist
2025-11-10
Investigators at Mass General Brigham have found that cases of child abuse and neglect in the United States have declined overall over the last decade, but disparities have persisted and in some cases widened. Poverty, which likely underlies much of the observed gaps, was highlighted as a critically important target for intervention. The research is published in JAMA Pediatrics.
“Poverty is a relentless source of stress that permeates families, creating an environment where the struggles for survival may overshadow the nurturing ...
Cooperative motor proteins found to kill cancer cells when dual-inhibited
2025-11-10
Osaka, Japan - A research team from The University of Osaka, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has uncovered a new molecular mechanism underlying chromosome alignment during cell division. The study demonstrates that two motor proteins, KIF18A and CENP-E, act cooperatively to ensure proper chromosome congression. Remarkably, simultaneous inhibition of these proteins selectively kills cancer cells, suggesting a promising therapeutic avenue.
Accurate chromosome segregation is essential for healthy cell division; its failure leads to chromosomal instability—a hallmark of cancer. While the kinetochore, a protein complex on chromosomes, coordinates this ...
American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics releases new clinical practice resource on managing RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1 variants
2025-11-10
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has published a new clinical practice resource, “Management of Individuals with Heterozygous Germline Pathogenic Variants in RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1: A clinical practice resource of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG),” in its official journal, Genetics in Medicine. The publication provides evidence-based guidance for clinicians managing individuals with heterozygous germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) in RAD51C, ...
Discovery reveals why Alzheimer’s patients forget family, friends
2025-11-10
One of the most devastating moments for family members of a patient with Alzheimer’s is when their loved one forgets who they are. New University of Virginia School of Medicine research may explain why that happens and could lead to a way to prevent it.
UVA’s Harald Sontheimer, PhD, and graduate student Lata Chaunsali and their colleagues found that the failure to recognize family, friends and caregivers is caused by the breakdown of protective “nets” that surround neurons in the brain. ...