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Biomarker Test shows promise for Melanoma
Diagnosis
Newswise, February 2, 2011 — A new study
shows that a test of biomarkers for DNA
methylation is technically feasible and
could aid in earlier, more precise diagnosis
of melanoma.
In a paper that appeared online last week in
the journal Pigment Cell & Melanoma
Research, a team of UNC researchers
tested whether DNA methylation profiling
could be accomplished on melanoma and mole
tissues that had been preserved in fixatives
for typical pathology examination after
biopsy.
They found that results on tissues
prepared in this way were reliable and DNA methylation distinguished malignant
melanomas from non-malignant moles.
Melanoma is one of the only forms of cancer
that is still on the rise and is the most
common form of cancer in young adults. The
incidence of melanoma in women under age 30
has increased more than 50 percent since
1980.
“When melanoma is diagnosed early, the
prognosis is good. However, once it spreads,
it is very difficult to treat.
"Melanomas and
moles can appear similar on the skin and
under the microscope making diagnosis of
some melanomas difficult.
"That’s why we
wanted to determine whether a test for DNA methylation is feasible as a tool for
diagnosis,” added Nancy Thomas, MD, PhD,
professor of dermatology and a member of UNC
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Kathleen Conway Dorsey, PhD, added, “We are
very excited because, with this study, we
have shown that this type of testing is
feasible and that it has the potential to
reliably distinguish between melanoma and
benign skin lesions. Devising a molecular
test that could aid in the early specific
diagnosis of melanoma could have significant
benefit for patients.”
Conway is assistant
research professor of epidemiology at UNC’s
Gillings School of Global Public Health and
a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
The team’s research pinpointed sites on 22
genes that have significantly different
methylation levels between melanomas and
non-melanoma lesions, as well as 12
locations that are highly predictive of
melanoma.
According to Thomas, another goal
of the team is to develop a DNA-methylation
test for melanoma tumor DNA that is shed
into the bloodstream and that can serve as a
measure for disease activity.
“If this test can be developed, it opens the
door to diagnose recurrence early and
initiate treatment while tumors are more
likely to respond to treatment.
"It would
also give us another way to monitor patients
for response to treatment and help us better
optimize treatments for each patient,”
Thomas noted.
Other members of the research team include
Sharon Edmiston, BS, Zakaria Khondker, MStat,
Pamela Groben, MD, clinical professor of
pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Xin Zhou,
PhD, Pei Fen Kuan, PhD, research assistant
professor of biostatistics, Honglin Hao,
Craig Carson, PhD, and David Ollila, MD,
associate professor of surgery, all at UNC-Chapel
Hill. The team also included Haitao Chu, MD,
PhD, of the University of Minnesota and
Marianne Berwick, PhD, MPH, of the
University of New Mexico.
The research was funded by the National
Cancer Institute and a UNC Lineberger Pilot
Grant.
