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World-First Melanoma Blood Test Developed in Australia

by Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY --

   Scientists in Australia say they have developed the world's first blood
   test to detect melanoma in its early stages. It's hoped the technique
   will save hundreds of lives each year by identifying cancer cells
   before they spread. Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of
   skin cancer in the world.

   Currently, skin examinations and biopsies are the most effective ways
   to detect melanoma. A blood test developed by university researchers in
   Western Australia could pick up the cancer much sooner, increasing a
   patient's chances of survival.
   The test recognizes auto-antibodies that are part of the body's natural
   defenses against cancer. In a trial involving about 200 people the
   technique detected the early stages of skin cancer in more than 80 per
   cent of cases.
   Professor Mel Ziman is the head of the Edith Cowan University Melanoma
   Research Group.
   "We are hoping that it will reduce the number of people that get
   metastatic disease [cancer] because that is where it becomes tricky. If
   a thin melanoma is identified early and it is removed you have a 98 to
   99 per cent chance of 5-10 year survival. So that is what we are hoping
   to achieve is that people will feel more comfortable going for skin
   checks. So it will just up the number of people that are aware and able
   to get their melanoma identified earlier," said Ziman.
   Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It is
   mainly caused by exposure to UV radiation.
   In Australia, about 1,500 people die from the disease each year.
   More clinical research on the new Australian blood test is planned in
   an attempt to improve its accuracy to 90 percent. The technique could
   be available within five years.
   Researchers have said the test will not pick up other types of skin
   cancers such as squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma. Other health
   experts have said the results of the trial "need to be interpreted with
   caution." They have urged people to keep checking their skin as a way
   to detect the early signs of skin cancer.