a promising test for melanoma screening

The finding of the World Health Organization is clear: one in three cancers detected is a skin cancer. In this context, any breakthrough is good news. Thus, even if it is very premature to declare victory, Australian researchers have just developed a blood test to detect melanoma at an early stage. A "world first", according to them.

The scientists of Edith Cowan University, whose work is published in the newspaper "Oncotarget", explain that this test could help doctors detect melanoma, a cancer of the aggressive skin (8,250 new detected each year in France), before it spreads in the body. "Patients whose melanoma is detected at an early stage have a five-year survival rate between 90 and 99%," said the first author of the study, Pauline Zaenker, in a statement. Otherwise, this rate drops to less than 50%. Insisting: "That's why this blood test is so promising as a potential detection tool because it can detect melanoma in the very early stages when it is still treatable.

Ten antibodies identified as markers of melanoma

Currently, the diagnosis is based on a clinical examination by a doctor. In case of suspicious lesion, it is surgically removed and biopsied

#CERIan Pauline Zaenker, PhD candidate at #ECU reminds us how important ] #SunSafety is developing to test melanoma. Pauline is pbadionate about #commercialising his research to #savelives pic.twitter.com/K60OlbSknn

– CERI (@ CERINOV8) December 5, 2017

[19659009] The team of researchers conducted trials on 105 patients with primary melanoma and 104 healthy people. The test detected melanoma at an early stage in 79% of cases. Their test identified autoantibodies produced by a patient in response to cancer

"We examined a total of 1,627 different types of antibodies to identify a combination of 10 antibodies that are the best indicators of melanoma in patients with healthy volunteers, "says the researcher.

A three-year clinical trial

Sanchia Aranda, Executive Director of Cancer Council Australia, found the research promising for people at high risk, who must undergo regular dermatological screening. But she pointed out that it does not detect other more common but less dangerous cancers such as basal cell carcinoma.

To validate their findings, Australian researchers are now required to conduct another three-year clinical trial. Only then do they expect to provide a test to doctors.

There is no doubt that the team that will have developed this test will be celebrated in Australia, the country of the world that knows the world. one of the highest prevalences of melanoma

AFP Source