New genomic test

New genomic test could spare some people with melanoma from lymph node biopsy surgery

October 22, 2025
6:33 pm

A genomic test co-developed by Mayo Clinic and SkylineDx can identify whether people with melanoma are at low or high risk for cancer in their lymph nodes—a finding that could guide treatment decisions and help many people avoid lymph node biopsy surgery. The study results are published in JAMA Surgery.

In the largest prospective study of its kind, about 93% of people classified as low risk had no cancer in their lymph nodes, while about 25% in the high-risk group did. The multicenter clinical trial enrolled 1,761 people with early- or intermediate-stage melanoma at nine U.S. cancer centers between 2021 and 2024.

Decoding the tumor’s genomic blueprint

The test measures the activity of eight genes in a melanoma tumor and combines that data with a person’s age and tumor thickness to estimate the chance that cancer has reached the lymph nodes. The Merlin CP-GEP Test analyzes tissue from the tumor already collected during an initial biopsy, so no additional procedure or visit is required for the test.

New genomic test could spare some people with melanoma from lymph node biopsy surgery

Decoding the tumor’s genomic blueprint

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