A new technique for melanoma diagnosis and treatment

We all know that too much sun exposure can be dangerous – most of us have experienced the pain of a sunburn. Even in conditions that we don’t expect sun damage to occur, such as cloudy days or when it’s cold outside, it’s still possible.

Melanoma is caused by skill cells that begin to develop abnormally, which exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is thought to cause. Sudden, intense sun exposure can be the most unexpected, but also the most dangerous. That’s why it’s important to be informed and prepared.

Why the focus on melanoma?

Melanoma is much less common than some of the other types of skin cancer, but melanoma is more dangerous because it more likely to spread quickly than other types.

Sun exposure adds up over time, so it’s logical that is more likely to occur in older people. However, melanoma is one of the most common cancers in people younger than 30, making it extremely important to educate younger generations of the dangers of skin cancer.

A more flexible staging standard

During melanoma treatment, it is important to assess whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The first lymph nodes where cancer cells are most likely to spread to are called sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Using the Sentimag^® - Magtrace^® magnetic localisation system, SLNs can be identified effectively while avoiding issues related with radioactive materials [2-3].

The procedure

In order to identify the SLNs during surgery, the surgeon injects a small amount (just up to 2 ml) of Magtrace^® tracer into the skin close to the cancer or the scar tissue. After injection, the Magtrace^® tracer will flow through the lymphatic system and will ‘mark’ the SLNs.

The injection can happen up to 30 days prior to surgery or in the operating theatre after the patient undergoes anaesthesia. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon will use the Sentimag^® probe to identify the marked SLNs, which will be removed and sent to the pathology lab for analysis.

Benefit

The Magtrace^® tracer is an established technique that has been used in over 65,000 cases. It enables more flexibility and convenience for both patients and physicians as it can be injected within a 30-day window.

Liquid biopsy for monitoring

Analysing genetic mutations in biopsied tissue has been the standard in clinical oncology, despite its inconvenience and risks of clinical complications for the patients [8]. Moreover, biopsies can be subject to selection bias due to tumour heterogeneity, can be difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts and the information provided is restricted to a static time point. [9, 10]. Here, liquid biopsy analysis of mutations in cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) has become a valuable tool for a variety of clinical and investigative applications. The detection of clinically relevant mutations from a simple blood draw enables clinicians to monitor the patient’s response to therapy in real time by repeated sampling throughout the whole course of treatment and allows early identification of upcoming resistances.

Plasma-SeqSensei™ Melanoma RUO Kit is a highly sensitive NGS-based assay allowing researchers to detect mutations on the two relevant genes NRAS and BRAF.

* SureSeq myPanel^TM: For research use only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.