With a steady increase in the number of people diagnosed with cancer, particularly skin cancer, new research that shows a simple blood test may be enough to trace the spread of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, has come as a revelation. Since melanoma has the potential to spread at a rapid pace when not subjected to treatment, the latest findings, as per a presentation made at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference, comes to offer relief to suffering patients.

According to the research, conducted by researchers at the University of Dundee, it will now be possible to measure the levels of TFP12, a gene in DNA that’s shed from the cancerous cells into the bloodstream. TFP12 is capable of altering the growth of healthy skin cells and leads to formation of cancer cells. By measuring the gene levels it will also be possible to ascertain how far melanoma has spread and what type of treatment will be required to offer treatment at a particular level.

Faster Diagnosis

Noting that the latest research could result in carrying out diagnosis at a higher speed, Cancer Research UK said it could also help in performing new treatments on patients.

According to Dr Tim Crook, study author and a consultant medical oncologist at the University of Dundee, treating melanoma is always going to be a tough task once it spreads. “Once melanoma starts to spread it becomes far more difficult to treat. But actually detecting whether or not it has started to spread is also challenging…. (But) by using a blood test, we have the basis of a simple and accurate way of discovering how advanced the disease is, as well as an early warning sign of whether it has started to spread”, he said, adding “this would give doctors and patients important information much sooner than is possible at the moment.”

Observing that using blood tests to assess the landscape of the DNA is an easy way to know more about what’s happening beneath the skin, Prof Charlotte Proby, a dermatologist based at the University of Dundee, said: “the switching on and off of certain genes seems to affect when, where and why the melanoma spreads.”

Bio-Markers

Developing such bio-markers which would facilitate detection of patients requiring additional treatment to beat melanoma will be the next step of the research, Prof. Proby said. “Our goal is to develop a panel of similar bio-markers that will help us to accurately detect those patients needing extra treatment to fight their melanoma,” he said.

Another potential bio-marker – NT5E – has also been identified by the same group of researchers, who feel that the gene could turn out to be a possible target for developing new treatment procedures to tackle melanoma more effectively.

According to Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK and chair of the NCRI, the research offers us a better chance to defeat the disease before it spreads through the body.