Kurt Mazurek Becomes Cancer-Free After 1 Mohs Surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma

Q: New AI tools can spot skin cancer from a photo. Can your smartphone now replace your annual dermatologist visit?

No. Smartphone AI can help flag suspicious spots, but it does not replace an annual dermatologist visit. The best evidence so far shows AI is useful as a screening or triage tool, not a stand-alone diagnostic system. In studies, some models perform about as well as non-expert clinicians and can improve doctors’ accuracy when used together with them. But they still generally do not match experienced dermatologists in real-world practice, especially with unusual lesions, poor-quality photos, or patients with a wide range of skin tones and medical histories. A dermatologist does much more than assess a photo. They examine the entire skin surface, including hard-to-see areas like the scalp, back and feet, use dermoscopy to look below the surface, consider your age, sun exposure, family history and symptoms, and decide whether a biopsy is needed. A biopsy remains the only way to confirm skin cancer. That matters because common cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, like the one outdoor writer Kurt Mazurek delayed having checked, can look harmless at first. More aggressive cancers, especially melanoma, are even less forgiving of delay. AI may help people notice a lesion sooner, but a false sense of reassurance from an app could postpone treatment. For people with heavy sun exposure, AI is best used between visits: to photograph and track spots, support self-checks, and prompt faster care if something changes. It is an extra set of eyes, not a substitute for a dermatologist.

1 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jun 28

One Mohs surgery removed Kurt Mazurek’s nodular basal cell carcinoma from below his right ear, and lab checks showed clear margins on the first pass.
A spot he had dismissed for about a year as an ingrown beard hair turned out to be skin cancer, which he linked to decades of sun exposure and repeated blistering sunburns.
Mohs surgery can require progressively larger cuts until no cancer cells remain, but Mazurek said surgeons got all of his slow-growing basal cell carcinoma in one attempt.
Mazurek used the diagnosis to urge outdoor enthusiasts—especially anglers with heavy sun exposure—to get skin checks, noting that waiting too long can be a mistake and earlier detection matters even more for aggressive cancers.
Going forward, he said he is fully committed to sun protection, including UPF clothing, gloves and SPF 50 lotion, after years of imperfect sunscreen use.