AN INNOVATIVE method for early melanoma detection using tumour-specific antibody profiling was presented at the 2024 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. The method aims to identify antibodies unique to patients with early-stage melanoma (stages I and II), enabling diagnosis at more treatable stages.
Melanoma, a skin cancer with a high mutation rate, triggers the immune system to produce antibodies against cancer-testis antigens (CTAgs). These CTAgs serve as early diagnostic and prognostic markers. The study analysed blood samples from 199 stage I and II melanoma patients and 38 healthy donors using a cancer array to detect specific antibodies. Blood samples were collected at diagnosis and within 30 days after surgery.
Three tumour antigens emerged as promising biomarkers for early melanoma, with AUC values ranging from 0.857 to 0.981 in the discovery cohort and 0.824 to 0.985 in the validation cohort. One key marker demonstrated promising accuracy, with 98% sensitivity and 76% specificity in the discovery cohort, and 99% sensitivity and 82% specificity in the validation cohort, with an AUC value of 0.9846.
Lead researcher Cristina Vico-Alonso, Victorian Melanoma Service, Melbourne, Australia. emphasised that 99% of melanoma patients in the validation cohort tested positive for this key marker, while 82% of healthy individuals were correctly identified as negative. Although 18% of healthy individuals were incorrectly flagged, combining the three markers improved overall diagnostic accuracy.
This method could significantly enhance early melanoma detection, leading to earlier interventions and better outcomes. While the study’s cohort excluded high-risk individuals, further testing in broader, real-world populations is needed. Moreover, the cancer array’s tumour-agnostic nature offers potential applications beyond melanoma, making it a promising tool for pan-cancer diagnostics.
Abigail Craig, EMJ
Reference
Vico-Alonso C et al. Early detection of melanomas using circulating tumour-specific antibodies. Abstract 3529. EADV Congress 2024, 25-38 September, 2024.
