AI App Screens for Skin Cancer, Speeds Up Treatment

Toronto — A Toronto-based tech startup is making waves in the Canadian healthcare sector with a first-of-its-kind AI-powered app that allows people to screen for skin cancer from the comfort of home — and get faster access to treatment.

The app, called GetSkinHelp, was developed by Skinopathy, a homegrown health innovation company founded in 2020 by plastic surgeon Dr. Colin Hong and entrepreneur Keith Loo. What started as a response to pandemic-era patient delays has evolved into a digital health platform transforming how dermatological care is accessed and delivered across Ontario.

At a time when dermatology wait times can stretch up to six months, GetSkinHelp enables users to snap a photo of a suspicious mole on their smartphone and receive an AI-generated risk assessment within moments. The app’s neural network can identify eight different conditions — including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and benign moles — with 88% accuracy. It also uses computer vision to evaluate moles using the ABCD criteria: asymmetry, border, colour, and diameter.

If a lesion is flagged as high-risk, the app connects users with virtual or in-person consultations, and can expedite referrals for biopsies or prescriptions. Those without a family doctor can book directly with a Skinopathy clinician.

“We wanted to create something that empowers patients while reducing pressure on the healthcare system,” said Dr. Hong, who now serves as the company’s Chief Medical Officer. “This app makes sure people who need care the most aren’t waiting in line behind cases that don’t require urgent attention.”

A Made-in-Ontario Innovation

Skinopathy’s rapid development was made possible through partnerships with local universities and support from Mitacs, a federally and provincially funded non-profit that connects industry with research talent.

Among those brought on board through Mitacs was Mahla Abdolahnejad, a PhD candidate in machine learning who joined as an intern and now works full-time as a lead data scientist with the company. In 2024, she was named Best Machine Learning Practitioner at the AIMed Conference in Florida for her work on Skinopathy’s algorithms.

“When you’re fresh out of academia, it’s not easy to get a chance like this,” said Abdolahnejad. “But through Mitacs, I was able to apply my research directly to something that’s helping people every day.”

Real-World Impact on Patients and Doctors

Since its launch, more than 2,300 doctors have referred over 24,000 patients to GetSkinHelp. The app has also helped reduce no-show rates and streamline clinic operations through automated intake and documentation processes.

Toronto resident Jennifer Edey credits the app with saving her mother’s life after it flagged a lesion that turned out to be cancerous. “It gave us the confidence to act quickly,” she said. “Without that initial screening, we may have waited too long.”

Looking ahead, Skinopathy is working on expanding its platform to serve more medical needs — including apps to help paramedics triage burns, assist long-term care staff with wound treatment, and offer AI-driven solutions for acne, eczema, rosacea, and pigmentation concerns.

Eventually, the company hopes to bring the technology into family medicine to automate triage and administrative tasks — freeing up physicians to focus on clinical care.

“We’re just scratching the surface,” said Dr. Hong. “There’s so much potential in Canadian tech, and when we combine it with clinical expertise and the passion of young researchers, we can solve big problems faster than we ever imagined.”

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