{
  "id": 1783119,
  "title": "Blood test may help guide treatment for metastatic melanoma",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/blood-test-may-help-guide-treatment-for-metastatic-melanoma",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-18T19:20:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-blood-treatment-metastatic-melanoma.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A blood test that measures tumor cell division rates may soon help doctors decide the best treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. This finding comes from a study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in Clinical Cancer Research. About half of metastatic melanoma patients have a BRAF gene mutation, for which targeted drugs and immunotherapy are available. The question remains whether to administer treatment types in a specific order for optimal results.\n\nThe study analyzed blood samples from 81 BRAF-mutant melanoma patients participating in the international SECOMBIT trial, which compared various treatment sequences. Researchers discovered that patients with higher TKa (thymidine kinase) levels before beginning treatment had shorter survival and faster disease progression. Conversely, patients with low TKa levels experienced better survival rates, with 71% alive after five years compared to 37% with high levels.\n\nFurther analysis revealed that patients with high TKa levels might benefit from a brief period of targeted therapy before immunotherapy, while low TKa levels responded better to starting with immunotherapy. The researchers also observed that TKa levels typically rose as the disease worsened, indicating potential monitoring capabilities for treatment effectiveness.\n\nHildur Helgadottir, a docent at Karolinska Institutet and the study's first author, emphasized the need for further research before introducing TKa into clinical practice. The biomarker analysis was conducted by Helgadottir, Mattias Bergqvist from Biovica, and Paolo Ascierto from IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale in Naples, alongside researchers from various European institutions. The full study is available in Clinical Cancer Research.",
  "summary": "A blood test that measures how quickly tumor cells divide could in the future help doctors assess prognosis and select treatment strategies for patients with melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body. This is shown in a study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.",
  "key_points": [
    "Blood test measures tumor cell division rates to guide melanoma treatment.",
    "BRAF-mutant melanoma patients analyzed in SECOMBIT trial.",
    "High TKa levels may benefit from targeted therapy before immunotherapy."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}