Predictive biomarkers for metastatic melanoma uncovered

Scientists in the US have found a potential means of testing melanoma patients for the risk of their condition becoming metastatic.

A team from Yale University have isolated seven plasma biomarkers which have been shown to become elevated among metastatic melanoma patients compared to those with early-stage forms of the disease.

This discovery could prove crucial in tracking metastasis risks among sufferers of the skin cancer, with mortality typically occurring after the condition becomes metastatic.

Current testing systems involve a combination of imaging tests, blood tests and physical examinations, but the reliability and appropriate frequency of these tests remains debatable.

Dr Harriet Kluger, associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, said: "This finding will need to be confirmed prospectively before it is used in the clinic, but it shows that such testing is possible."

According to Cancer Research UK, malignant melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer, but is also the most serious.