More precisely, biopsies
New blood test Surpassed biopsy in accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis
The new blood test is able to detect melanoma at an early stage with an accuracy of up to 80%. The scientists who developed the test from Edith Cowan University (Australia) is confident that this will help save thousands of lives around the world.
According to WHO, melanoma is the main cause of death from skin cancer, and white–skinned residents of Australia, Europe and North America are most susceptible to it. If the disease is diagnosed and treated before germination into deeper tissues, the survival rate of patients increases to 95%. But if you miss the time, the chances of recovery fall to 50% or lower. That is why scientists are developing tests that can detect melanoma as early as possible.
Diagnosis of melanoma by biopsy is a fairly accurate, but invasive method. It is also quite expensive, since patients have to spend money not only to remove a dangerous mole, but also to study it.
The MelDX blood test, developed by Australians, is aimed at finding antibodies that the body produces in response to the development of melanoma.
Scientists analyzed 1,627 different antibodies and reduced their number to 10, which indicate the presence of melanoma in the body. Then they took blood from 104 people with melanoma and 105 healthy people from the control group, and found that MelDX is able to detect melanoma with an accuracy of up to 80%. For comparison, a 2012 study showed that the accuracy of skin biopsy in the early stages of melanoma is 76%.
The main goal is to protect people at risk
80% is not an ideal result, but it can be a starting point before other, more invasive tests begin. So, MelDX can improve the early diagnosis of skin cancer and increase people's chances of survival.
The next step will be a clinical trial in which the effectiveness of the test will be confirmed or refuted.
"We assume that the work will take about three years. If it is successful, the test can be used in clinics," says Mel Ziman, head of the research team, in a press release Edith Cowan University World-first blood test to detect deadly melanoma in early stage patients.
The ultimate goal of scientists is to create an analysis for routine screening of people with an increased risk of developing melanoma. These include people with a large number of moles, a family history of the disease and light-skinned owners of the I and II phototypes.
Meanwhile, there are simple ways to protect yourself from melanoma and other skin cancers. Dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen, avoiding aggressive sun and staying in the shade during the hottest hours of the day.
Article by Zaenker et al. A diagnostic autoantibody signature for primary cutaneous melanoma is published in the journal Oncotarget.
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