The prevention and monitoring of melanoma are becoming an increasing priority for health care systems, given the rising incidence of this particularly aggressive disease, which is characterized by a high mortality rate.

To improve patients’ chances of survival, it is crucial to intervene early through effective prevention strategies and innovative diagnostic tools that enhance the diagnosis and management of skin lesions over time.

Currently, clinical practice relies primarily on the analysis of dermatological and dermoscopic images. While this noninvasive diagnostic method provides a high level of detail, it requires specialized expertise and presents certain challenges, including the subjective component associated with variability in interpretation by the specialist.

To overcome these limitations, “ZOOMel” was launched—a project co-funded by Cyber 4.0 and coordinated by the FORMIT Foundation in collaboration with the University of International Studies in Rome and IDI IRCCS.

The project develops solutions based on artificial intelligence—and, in particular, on deep learning systems—to support the analysis of dermatological and dermoscopic images for the purpose of monitoring melanoma.

The system allows medical specialists to track changes in skin lesions over time using images captured even with smartphones, while also encouraging patients to take a more active role in monitoring their own health and supporting physicians in their clinical observations.

A key feature of the project is the integration of images with structured clinical data—such as age, sex, skin type, and lesion characteristics—to improve the quality, accuracy, and reliability of the analysis.

Innovation and key technologies

  • Deep Learning Models for the Analysis of Dermatological and Dermoscopic Images
  • Blockchain technologies for the management and portability of clinical data
  • Steganography techniques for protecting sensitive information associated with images

Scope of application

  • Healthcare Facilities for the Assessment of Skin Lesions in Oncology
  • Dermatology clinics for monitoring skin lesions
  • Telemedicine services to support remote monitoring

Co-funded by Cyber 4.0, ZOOMel helps improve melanoma prevention and monitoring processes by promoting the integration of clinical expertise and artificial intelligence tools to support medical practices.