INTRODUCTION: Monitoring of circulating melanoma cells in the peripheral blood is a promising method for identifying a subgroup of patients with minimal residual disease. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic impact of melanoma-associated antigens by multimarker real-time RT-PCR for disease-specific survival time. METHODS: Five melanoma markers: Melan-A, gp 100, MAGE-3, MIA and tyrosinase were detected by a quantitative multimarker real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). We included 65 patients with resected melanoma in stage II-III. Peripheral blood samples were examined every 3 months for 2 years. The expression of melanoma markers in 2925 RT-PCR assays was correlated with clinical staging results in total of 5 years. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients relapsed during the study period and 26 of them revealed positive markers. MAGE-3 was the most sensitive progression marker in single occurrence or in combination with MIA and gp 100. The time distribution of metastases during the screened period was as follows: progression in the first year was observed in 40.7% patients, second year in 25.9%, third year in 18.6%, fourth and fifth year in 7.4% equally. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant tumor marker elevation during the first 2 years after the surgical treatment correlates with a worse prognosis of patients. In contrast, the group showing negative real-time RT-PCR results in 24 months serial blood testing was associated with prolonged 5-year disease-specific survival. Therefore, quantitative detection of melanoma-specific molecular markers in the presented setting represents a useful tool for selecting patients in a higher risk of disease recurrence.
INTRODUCTION: Monitoring of circulating melanoma cells in the peripheral blood is a promising method for identifying a subgroup of patients with minimal residual disease. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic impact of melanoma-associated antigens by multimarker real-time RT-PCR for disease-specific survival time. METHODS: Five melanoma markers: Melan-A, gp 100, MAGE-3, MIA and tyrosinase were detected by a quantitative multimarker real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). We included 65 patients with resected melanoma in stage II-III. Peripheral blood samples were examined every 3 months for 2 years. The expression of melanoma markers in 2925 RT-PCR assays was correlated with clinical staging results in total of 5 years. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients relapsed during the study period and 26 of them revealed positive markers. MAGE-3 was the most sensitive progression marker in single occurrence or in combination with MIA and gp 100. The time distribution of metastases during the screened period was as follows: progression in the first year was observed in 40.7% patients, second year in 25.9%, third year in 18.6%, fourth and fifth year in 7.4% equally. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant tumor marker elevation during the first 2 years after the surgical treatment correlates with a worse prognosis of patients. In contrast, the group showing negative real-time RT-PCR results in 24 months serial blood testing was associated with prolonged 5-year disease-specific survival. Therefore, quantitative detection of melanoma-specific molecular markers in the presented setting represents a useful tool for selecting patients in a higher risk of disease recurrence.
Authors: A L Reid; M Millward; R Pearce; M Lee; M H Frank; A Ireland; L Monshizadeh; T Rai; P Heenan; S Medic; P Kumarasinghe; M Ziman Journal: Br J Dermatol Date: 2012-11-15 Impact factor: 9.302
Authors: Nicholas Beazley-Long; Kevin Gaston; Steven J Harper; Antonio Orlando; David O Bates Journal: Am J Cancer Res Date: 2014-12-15 Impact factor: 6.166
Authors: María Contador-Troca; Alberto Alvarez-Barrientos; Jaime M Merino; Antonio Morales-Hernández; María I Rodríguez; Javier Rey-Barroso; Eva Barrasa; María I Cerezo-Guisado; Inmaculada Catalina-Fernández; Javier Sáenz-Santamaría; Francisco J Oliver; Pedro M Fernandez-Salguero Journal: Mol Cancer Date: 2015-08-05 Impact factor: 27.401