Study validates SkylineDx’s Merlin test can avoid surgery and lower healthcare costs
Source: CISION Pr Newswire, April 2023
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company focused on research & development of molecular diagnostics for oncology and inflammatory diseases, today announced research demonstrating significant cost-saving potential with use of its Merlin test, which may reduce the rate of unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) in SLNB-eligible patients with cutaneous melanoma.
The SLNB procedure is currently the standard of care, and the most prognostic tool available for determining the course of treatment for patients with cutaneous melanoma. Yet 80% of SLNB results are negative and non-therapeutic, and according to a recent study published by the International Journal of Dermatology, can add nearly $10,000 to the cost of treatment.
The SkylineDx molecular Merlin test helps identify melanoma patients who are at low risk for nodal metastasis, and may subsequently forgo aSLNB procedure. At a Medicare reimbursement rate of $4,600 per test, the Merlin test could significantly reduce the number of unnecessary surgeries, and the overall cost of care for cutaneous melanoma.