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Australian researchers said Wednesday they developed a blood test for melanoma in its infancy, calling it a "world first" that could save many lives.
Scientists, from Edith Cowan University, said the new test could help doctors detect skin cancer before it spreads in the body.
"Patients whose melanoma was detected at an early stage have a five-year survival rate of between 90 and 99%," said Pauline Zaenker.
She added that survival rates dropped to less than 50% if the cancer spread in the body.
"That's what makes this blood test as exciting as a potential screening tool because it can detect melanoma. It was published in the journal Oncotarget on Wednesday, a test involving 105 melanoma patients and 104 healthy people.
The procedure detected the ear Melanoma is present in 79% of cases, according to scientists.
Melanoma is currently detected with the aid of a visual scintigraphy by a physician, with areas of concern surgically cut and biopsied.
Zaenker says the new process involved the identification of autoantibodies "We examined a total of 1627 different types of antibodies to identify a combination of 10 antibodies that best indicated the presence of melanoma in patients confirmed in relation to healthy volunteers, "she adds.
Sanchia Aranda, Executive Director of the Cancer Council Australia, said the test would be important for high-risk groups, who need regular inspections of their spots and moles, which can be difficult and time-consuming .
did not identify other types of less lethal but more common skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
"People must be very aware of the damage caused by the sun. "UV rays on their skin, and be alert to changes in spots or moles," she told AFP.
Scientists will conduct another three-year clinical trial to validate the results.
One in three cancer diagnosed is skin cancer, according to the World Health Organization, Australia having one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world
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