Liquid biopsy utility for the surveillance of cutaneous malignant melanoma patients.

ABSTRACT: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the highest incident-rate cancers with increasing prevalence in Western societies. Despite the advent of new approved therapeutics, the 5-year overall survival rate of stage IV melanoma patients remains below 15%. Current treatments for late stage disease have shown higher efficacy when treated at a lower disease burden. Thus, blood-based biomarkers capable of detecting melanoma prior to clinically evident distant metastasis, will improve the treatment and outcomes for melanoma patients. To that end, effective treatment of melanoma necessitates identification of patients at risk for developing distant metastases. Furthermore, employing blood biomarkers that monitor cancer progression over the course of treatment is a promising solution to post-treatment drug re

SUBMITTER: Huang SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5307330 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature