World-First Melanoma Test

World-First Melanoma Test


In a trial involving 105 people with melanoma and 104 healthy controls, the blood test was able to detect early stage melanoma in 79 per cent of cases.

Melanoma mission

Australia has the second highest rate of melanoma in the world, with 14,000 new diagnoses and almost 2000 deaths each year.

Lead researcher PhD candidate Pauline Zaenker said identifying melanoma early was the best way to preventing these deaths.



Visual implications

Currently the main way melanoma is detected is by a visual scan by a clinician with any areas of skin that are of concern excised and sent for a biopsy.

Ms Zaenker, from ECU's Melanoma Research Group (MRG), said the new blood test could provide doctors with a powerful new tool to detect melanoma before it spreads throughout the body.




Antibodies provide early warning



Wider implications

MelanomaWA Chief Executive Officer Clinton Heal knows first-hand the importance of developing new ways to detect skin cancer – he has had 34 secondary tumours removed since he was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 22.

"At MelanomaWA we see first-hand the importance of early detection and how it's critical to the long term survival of people diagnosed with melanoma," he said.

"I am personally so excited to see this research transcending into clinical practice, having given of my own blood samples to the Melanoma Research Group following my diagnosis in 2005.

"My primary melanoma was not detected early, and I believe a simple blood test could have drastically improved my melanoma diagnosis and subsequent treatment since."

Next steps

MRG head Professor Mel Ziman said a follow up clinical trial to validate the findings was being organised.


"The ultimate goal is for this blood test to be used to provide greater diagnostic certainty prior to biopsy and for routine screening of people who are at a higher risk of melanoma, such as those with a large number of moles or those with pale skin or a family history of the disease."



The results from the study, 'A diagnostic autoantibody signature for primary cutaneous melanoma', was published today (Wednesday 18 July) in the journal Oncotarget.

Melanoma success


Some of their projects include:
A blood test for melanoma of the eye

In 2016, the MRG received a $200,000 grant from the Cancer Council WA and $820,000 from the NHMRC to develop a blood test for early prediction of the effectiveness of different types of treatments for melanoma patients.