Invasive skin biopsies could soon be a thing of the past, now that new Advanced NanoBiomed research reveals a simple blood test could detect cancerous melanoma cells.
Melanoma Australia estimates about 16,800 Australians will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, with one person diagnosed every 30 minutes.
Melanoma is one of the most dangerous and aggressive skin cancers due to its potential to spread rapidly throughout the body. Early identification and removal is critical for higher survival rates.
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Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that in the last decade, the five-year overall survival rate for advanced melanoma has increased from less than ten per cent to more than 50 per cent.
The latest blood testing method uses a special technique involving Melanoma-specific antibodies, and can not only be used to diagnose melanoma but also evaluate whether remaining cancer cells have been successfully removed after skin cancer surgery.
Researchers from the University of Michigan said this is the first study using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to evaluate efficacy of surgery.
"CTCs have the potential to pinpoint treatment resistance and recurrence, and can be a valuable biomarker to non-invasively monitor for disease progression," said research author Sunitha Nagrath.
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Australia has the second highest rate of melanoma in the world, with almost 2000 deaths each year.
The groundbreaking research could be a life-saving game changer for not only Australians but for people across the globe, with over 300 000 new cases reported globally in 2019.
