RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: early detection matters As for any cancer, early melanoma detection does matter. Once there are mets rate of cure and survival are way down. Bottom line, Aura would be very useful for EARLY diagnosis, "carcinoma in situ", before penetrating basal membrane or having mets. Great, but there are some local and global issues to consider.
Local issues in Canada are:
- How accurate ( sensitivity/specificity ) Aura is? This will be confirmed by independent clinical studies and every day clinical experience.
- Who will pay for the test? Patients are used to "free med care" and very reluctant to pay any money for any med service. Government is supporting this sentiment with legislation and news media. Provincial health care plans are overextended. Melanoma screening with Aura will have to become provincial health care approved test as insured service ( meaning paid service ). Even if this is achieved there will be some limitations who and how often will be tested. Very unlikely that melanoma screening will be a part of routine yearly health check up. The same as with mammogram, colonoscopy, or eye tests, and so on.
- Who pay for Aura and disposable tips? Money is a big deal. Not to many docs are going to fork out 60K ( or take some financial arrangements, like "lease to own", and so on ), unless there is intense patients demand for service, patients or government are willing to pay, and Aura proves to significantly reduce rate of skin biopsies.
Back to VRS. All said and all done, they have to start commercial production and sales, with after sales service. Getting FDA approval is crucial. US is the number one market for any pharma or any medical device company. Approval is not impossible but will be long and very painful road. FDA is protecting own interest and favouring local companies. Not infrequently big pharma or some underworld elements are having strong influence.
Global issues. In spite of markets hitting "all time high" the truth is that wold economy is in recession and global financial crisis is about the burst. Cyprus would give you some idea what might be coming. We have deflation spiral and amount of government and individual debt all time high ( at the "point without return" ). Government and politicians will have very soon to think about how to feed starving and unemployed masses, and/or to contain social unrest ( like Chinese "spring" ), or deal with major international conflicts than to worry about melanoma screening. GLA