Predictive Test for Melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. When diagnosed early, melanoma patients have a survival rate of better than 90%, but when melanoma has spread to other body sites, 86% of patients die from the disease.

The new test, called Melaris, is being developed by Myriad Genetics (Salt Lake City, UT, USA). The company says the p16 gene is involved in the genesis of many types of cancer, including melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, ovary, bone, brain, and bladder. The gene functions as a molecular brake during a key step in the cell division process. When the gene is mutated, it loses its braking function and uncontrolled cell growth can result. Individuals who carry a mutation in the p16 gene, resulting in a positive Melaris test, have an estimated lifetime risk that is more than 50 times higher than the risk for those in the general population.

"Melaris is the fourth predictive medicine product utilizing Myriad's highly accurate, high-throughput DNA sequencing technology,” said Dr. Gregory Critchfield, president of Myriad. The new test will provide the same reference standard quality test result as the company's tests for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and uterine cancer, he noted.




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