Mechanised triage: A pilot study investigating the role of machine learning to triage penile lesions.

Abstract

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare disease with devastating psychosocial consequences. Early recognition and treatment are paramount to preserving function and long-term survival. However, many men present with advanced disease due to a lack of awareness, social stigma, and limited access to culturally appropriate care. There is an urgent need to reduce barriers to subspecialist penile cancer care, especially for men from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Machine learning combined with smartphone photography has demonstrated growing utility by outperforming clinicians in diagnosing skin cancer. This project aims to evaluate the accuracy of an artificial intelligence algorithm for stratifying penile lesions.