MeMoSA® App: innovating early detection of oral cancer

Oh mouth ulcers…. though small, it can bring significant pain and discomfort to many. Even though the experience is unpleasant, it is usually harmless and the ulcers can resolve by themselves within 10 to 14 days. But if your ulcers haven’t healed in over 2 weeks, those ulcers may be something more serious.

Some of the initial signs of oral cancer include non-healing ulcers, persistent mouth swelling, unusual red or white patches in the mouth or difficulty swallowing, and unexplained loose teeth.

Surprisingly, oral cancer is both prevalent and deadly in Asia, accounting for over 74% of all oral cancer-related deaths globally. In Malaysia, 2 out of every 3 oral cancer patients die within five years of diagnosis due to late detection, resulting in a high mortality rate.

This problem is worse in remote regions like rural Sabah and Sarawak, where 75% of the population is indigenous. Research indicates that 8 out of 10 people in East Malaysia with oral cancer are diagnosed late, and indigenous individuals have double the risk of developing oral cancer compared to other ethnic groups. To facilitate early detection of oral cancer, CRMY created a special tool, more specifically a phone app that can accurately distinguish a lesion that is cancer from one that is non-cancerous. This app is called Mobile Mouth Screening Anywhere or simply known as MeMoSA.

The app was developed by CRMY in 2017 as a teleconsultation tool to seamlessly bridge primary healthcare practitioners and specialists when they encounter patients with oral lesions. This enables screening for oral lesions to be done at a larger scale and increases the access to early detection for our communities regardless of whether they live in urban or rural areas.

The upcoming MeMoSA App update is set to incorporate an advanced artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithm capable of classifying oral lesions based on images taken through the app, further enhancing its diagnostic capabilities.

Thanks to Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), we have secured the necessary funding to expand and test the MeMoSA App in the state of Sarawak. Through the implementation of the app in Sarawak, it allows us to create strategies aligned with the National Oral Health Plan 2011-2020 (NOHP 2011-2020) to increase early detection of the disease. We aim to offer hope to disadvantaged communities and improve the care and survival rates of patients with oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer using digital health tools such as MeMoSA.

This endeavour is further supported by Academy Sciences of Malaysia, a statutory body under MOSTI. Madam Hazami Habib, CEO of the Academy Sciences of Malaysia, highlighted the importance of digitalisation in shaping healthcare’s future. CRMY’s MeMoSA platform, a blend of science, technology, and innovation, doesn’t just focus on early oral cancer detection but also shifts from traditional healthcare. It aims to empower patients to manage their health actively, making healthcare more accessible and proactive.

Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, who leads the development of MeMoSA, expressed her gratitude to MOSTI for their funds as it will be used to enhance the app. We can spot possible signs of cancer from photos taken on a smartphone. By making it easy for patients and doctors to communicate securely through their phones, we’ve improved how we follow up on patients and catch oral cancer early.

Healthcare should be affordable and accessible to EVERYONE. Unfortunately, those who come from an underprivileged background or live in rural areas, are missing out to get themselves checked for early detection of oral cancer. Lend a helping hand today and change lives: