Melanoma diagnosis in hours with new test

Source: SBS, November 2016

Melanoma patients will be able to receive targeted treatment within hours with a Melbourne-developed new blood test that acts as a non-invasive biopsy.

Advanced melanoma patients will be able to get a diagnosis of how far along their cancer is within hours, not weeks, thanks to a new blood test.

The “liquid biopsy" blood test was pioneered in Victoria by the Melbourne Melanoma Project and has saved lives by telling doctors almost instantaneously what melanoma mutations exist in a patient’s DNA.

That information is then used to treat them with targeted medication for that strain of melanoma.

Normally surgical biopsies can take up to three weeks to give doctors that information.

The test is now available to advanced melanoma patients through the Olivia Newton John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre and has had impressive results.