TTUHSC surgeon using telemedicine for novel cancer screening project

• By Kelly Podzemny
• October 4, 2016

TTUHSC Associate Professor and surgical oncologist Subhasis Misra, M.D., is spearheading a new project that includes using telemedicine to reduce the incidence of skin cancer by increasing the number of people receiving melanoma screening.

“The Texas Panhandle has twice the national death rate from melanoma and has the highest rate of new cases and mortality in the state of Texas,” Misra said. “Through this network access improvement project grant funding, our aim is to increase cancer screening of high risk patient populations and educate the community about preventative measures to avoid skin cancers.”

Misra said invasive skin cancers are more prevalent in Amarillo than other parts of the state, partly due to the city’s elevation and the area’s population being more involved in outdoor activities. Through this project, he hopes to significantly reduce the melanoma rate by providing better skin cancer education to the community and increasing screening rates for the disease. The Office of Strategic Initiatives is helping to fund the project with $500,000 to be utilized for screenings and research.