Melanoma blood test a step closer

The world’s first blood test for melanoma, which can diagnose melanoma skin cancers earlier and more accurately than currently possible, is one step closer to being available to patients and healthcare professionals, having been further validated by a new clinical study, says the manufacturer.

Melanoma is up to four times more prevalent in Australia than the US and European countries and is responsible for the deaths of three Australians every day. Unlike other common cancers, the death rate of melanoma in Australia has risen alarmingly, which may be partially due to inaccurate diagnoses and a lack of progress in the development of new tests. In 2016, New Zealand melanoma statistics overtook even those in Australia, making it the country with the highest melanoma rates in the world.

Now, a new blood test called Melaseq, developed by Geneseq Biosciences in Melbourne, Australia, can pinpoint the ‘molecular fingerprint’ of melanoma, even in the earliest stages of the disease. In world-first research, the new study shows that the Melaseq blood test can be performed with up to 94% accuracy both before and after a melanoma has been removed.

“The current methods for detecting melanoma have been proven to have limited ability to identify many of the melanomas that progress to late stage disease, where prognosis is extremely poor,” said Geneseq co-founder Dr Ryan van Laar. “The Melaseq blood test however has the ability to detect first stage melanoma, saving millions of healthcare dollars, and more importantly saving lives,” he said.

“After a melanoma skin lesion has been removed, patients have few, if any, options for follow up tests to confirm if the tumour has been completely removed and they are melanoma-free. Tragically, melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in young people aged between 20 to 39 years old, and in recent years, has killed more Australians than the road toll,” Dr Van Laar commented. “We have received incredibly positive feedback from national and international melanoma experts on the potential for Melaseq to improve patient outcomes.”

The Melaseq test is designed to be performed by GP’s and pathology collection services.