Scientists have proposed a new simple way to diagnose cancer: it does not require a biopsy

A new test will allow patients to bypass invasive skin biopsies to determine whether they have

melanoma.It uses the cancer type-specific OncoBean platform conjugated to melanoma-specific antibodies. Researchers at the University of Michigan have shown that the test can be used not only to diagnose melanoma, but also to assess whether all cancer cells have been successfully removed after surgery.

"This is the first comprehensive studycirculating tumor cells—or CTCs—to evaluate the effectiveness of surgery using microfluidic systems for melanoma,” explains the study’s first author, Yoon Tae Kang, Ph.D.

CTCs are known to have the potential to accurately determine treatment resistance and relapses and may be a valuable biomarker for non-invasive monitoring of disease progression.

Currently the best way to diagnoseskin cancer - perform a biopsy followed by histology. This is a reliable method that allows you to determine the nature of the tumor. A tissue sample is collected during a biopsy. A lymph node biopsy is also performed - this is the collection of a pathological area of ​​tissue for further histological examination. Both methods are invasive, and scientists have long been looking for an alternative.

According to the UN, 132,000cases of malignant melanoma (the most dangerous type of skin cancer) and more than 2 million cases of other skin cancers. Most develop as a result of excessive exposure to natural UV radiation.

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