COMPOSITIONS, METHODS AND KITS FOR DETECTING MELANOMA AND MARGINS OF MELANOMA

摘要

Described herein are compositions, methods and kits for detection of melanoma and determination of melanoma margins. The present invention relates to a novel panel of volatile metabolic biomarkers that can be used in the diagnosis of melanoma skin cancer. A novel approach to detect melanoma is based on volatile by-products of altered cancer metabolism. This invention further provides a method for identifying molecules useful in the detection of melanoma and sets a foundation for development of a non-invasive detection technology, a biosensor, for melanoma diagnosis. Uses for this technology include a diagnostic screen that will help clinicians to assess this disease. One advantage provided by the compositions, methods and kits described herein is that metabolites are at the end phase of the genome-transciptome-proteome-metabolome cascade and thus are the most predictive of the cancer phenotype.