Australian Melanoma Research Foundation-funded research is uncovering new clues to help identify patients at greatest risk of recurrence.
While early detection has dramatically improved melanoma outcomes, recurrence remains one of the greatest challenges facing patients and clinicians. Many melanomas are successfully treated when first diagnosed, yet some patients experience the return of their disease months or even years later. In fact, most melanoma-related deaths occur following the recurrence of an initially early-stage melanoma.
“It is an honour to have been awarded the Inaugural LEK Consulting Melanoma Research Grant 2022. We couldn’t have done this without the Australian Melanoma Research Foundation’s support, so we are truly grateful for it.”
Understanding why some melanomas return while others do not was the focus of AMRF-funded research led by Dr Prachi Bhave from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The University of Melbourne.
The project used an innovative technology known as spatial transcriptomics, which allows researchers to examine not only which genes are active within a tumour, but also where different cells are located and how they interact with one another. This provides an unprecedented view of the tumour microenvironment – the complex ecosystem of cancer cells, immune cells and surrounding tissue that can influence how a melanoma behaves.
The research team analysed tumour samples from patients with very different outcomes. Some patients remained melanoma-free for years after treatment, while others experienced recurrence despite having seemingly similar disease at diagnosis.
By comparing these groups, the researchers identified important differences in both the molecular characteristics of the tumours and the composition of cells surrounding them.
Patients with favourable outcomes tended to have higher levels of immune cell activity within their tumours, while those who experienced recurrence showed distinct patterns of gene expression associated with inflammation, metabolism and tumour progression.
These findings suggest that the tumour microenvironment may hold important clues about which patients are most likely to experience recurrence. If researchers can better identify these high-risk patients at the time of diagnosis, it may become possible to tailor follow-up care, monitoring and treatment strategies more effectively.
Importantly, this study is among the first to use spatial transcriptomic technology to examine primary melanoma samples from patients with dramatically different clinical outcomes. The work demonstrates the potential of advanced molecular technologies to uncover biological signals that are invisible through traditional pathology techniques alone.
While further research is needed, these findings represent an important step towards more personalised melanoma care. By improving our ability to predict recurrence risk, researchers hope to ultimately help more patients receive the right treatment, at the right time, improving outcomes and saving lives.
This project was made possible through the support of the Australian Melanoma Research Foundation and our generous donors, whose commitment to research is helping drive the next generation of discoveries in melanoma prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
