Melanoma may soon be detected using a blood test

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD July 18, 2018

Australian researchers at Edith Cowan University were able to develop a blood test that could diagnose melanoma before they can spread to other parts of the body. The study entitled " A diagnostic signature of autoantibodies for primary cutaneous melanoma, " was published in the last issue of the journal Oncotarget .

Dermatologist examining the patient in the clinic, closeup Credit: Africa Studio / Shutterstock

The team of researchers designed blood tests that can detect autoantibodies that The body usually tests skin cancer cells and has successfully diagnosed early stage cancer in 81.5% of cases with a blood test. Australia dies each year at least 2,000. Melanoma forms about 1 to 2% of all skin cancers, but it is considered the most deadly.

The study was conducted by Pauline Zaenker, According to a common practice of skin cancer research, the badysis of skin biopsies is part of the melanoma research group at the Edith Cowan University, but three quarters of all biopsy samples do not return. even in the presence of cancer, she explained. With the advent of this test, doctors would not need to rely solely on these expensive biopsies that are invasive because not always reliable, she said. Biopsies for the detection of skin cancer cost Australia $ 201 million a year, she added. Of this $ 73 million is spent on tests that come back false negatives.

According to Zaenker, as soon as the melanoma develops, the body begins to produce these antibodies and this helps in the early detection of cancer using this blood test. She added that there are no other biomarkers capable of detecting cancer so early in cancer. She said the team examined 1627 different types of antibodies before finding that there was a combination of 10 antibodies that could predict that a person had melanoma compared to people in good health. Survival after detection of early stage skin cancer is 90 to 99%, but it halves if detected once the cancer has spread to others organs

According to Professor Mel Zanan, this study should be followed by a clinical trial that, if successful, could mean that this test would be used clinically over the next three years. She said this would provide "diagnostic certainty" before the biopsy leads to melanoma screening. This could be especially helpful in people at higher risk of melanoma. According to the Cancer Council, the best protection against melanomas is protection against the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. Melanomas are generally in the form of skin lesions with irregular surfaces and edges, and may vary in color from black, brown, blue, red, white, gray, etc. In the absence of treatment, this cancer can spread deeper into the skin. is transported to other organs via the lymphatic channels and blood vessels. Cancer Council Australia Executive Director Sanchia Aranda has called this new study "interesting development" and hopes that it will be proven in larger clinical trials in the near future.