Melanoma Blood Test

A blood test has been developed that may diagnose melanoma (skin cancer) before it becomes malignant. A three-year clinical trial is being planned in Australia and New Zealand, where skin cancer rates are high due to elevated sun exposure in fair-skinned individuals.

The test is designed to detect antibodies produced by the immune system shortly after the cancer begins growing. A previous, limited study of 200 patients (half of whom had early-stage melanoma and half of whom did not) showed that the new blood test demonstrated an accuracy of 82 percent in identifying the cancer.

Current methods for diagnosing melanoma rely on visual examination and cutting out suspect moles for testing, however, many cases are not spotted until it has advanced. The ability to screen for the disease in its early stages, when five-year survival rates are up to 99 percent, would make this a useful screening tool for high-risk patients, including those with a fair complexion or a family history of skin cancer.