A blood test of patients with skin cancer could predict the risk of recurrence of aggressive skin cancer, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Annals of Oncology.
Researchers from Cancer Research UK and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust cancer center analyzed blood samples taken after surgery from 161 patients with melanoma (most aggressive skin cancer) stage 2 and 3. They then looked for the specific links of two genes involved (BRAF and NRAS) in 70% of melanomas.
Five years after this test, a third of patients who tested positive survived against 65% of those who had not had a blood test.
Prevent recurrence
The study also found that the skin cancer was much more likely to recur within one year of surgery in patients who had genetic abnormalities.
“Being able to develop an early warning system that will predict cancer recurrence could make a real difference for patients. If follow-up research shows that this test can be used to inform treatment decisions and improve the outlook, it could be a game-changer in our ability to treat advanced skin cancer, ”explained Principal Investigator Professor Richard Marais and director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, based at the University of Manchester.
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