Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer that affects around 17,500 people each year in the UK (2017-2019) and unfortunately cases are on the rise.
Our analysis has shown that rates of melanoma have increased by [almost a third over the past decade](https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/05/27/skin-cancer-cases-reach-all-time-high/). For most people who are diagnosed with melanoma at an early stage, the cancer is successfully removed by surgery. But in a small percentage of patients the cancer will come back.
On the NHS, patients are currently offered a one-year preventative drug treatment aimed at reducing the risk of recurrence. But now, thanks to a new blood test developed by our scientists at the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre in Manchester, patients most at risk of a relapse can be identified early so that further treatment is only given to those who really need it.
Detecting melanoma early
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The [DETECTION-2 trial](https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-study-looking-at-a-blood-test-to-see-whether-further-treatment-is-needed-after-having-surgery-to?_gl=1*k56gsl*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NDIyOTU3OTQuQ2owS0NRandzLVMtQmhEMkFSSXNBTHNzRzBiRDhtTWhJNm5odnB1YUIyQXhzSEd4WDdjQmFSZ20xWnUtRVo0NWlpNmU1eWpWbU10ZlV6a2FBdFp1RUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3NDIyOTU3OTQuQ2owS0NRandzLVMtQmhEMkFSSXNBTHNzRzBiRDhtTWhJNm5odnB1YUIyQXhzSEd4WDdjQmFSZ20xWnUtRVo0NWlpNmU1eWpWbU10ZlV6a2FBdFp1RUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NzA0ODc3ODkxLjE3NDA5OTkzMjU.*_ga*MTQ4NDgwMDA5My4xNjgwMDgyOTgy*_ga_58736Z2GNN*MTc0MjI5Mzc4OC4xNDA4LjEuMTc0MjI5NzQwMC4zOS4wLjA.), which we fund, will see teams of researchers at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester examine the blood test to see if it can successfully spot small fragments of DNA shed by cancer cells – known as circulating tumour DNA, or ctDNA – before they show up on a scan.
The hope is that it could mean quicker diagnosis for people whose cancer has returned and prevent people whose melanoma is not coming back from having unnecessary treatment and avoid potential side effects.