Castle Biosciences: DecisionDx -Melanoma can precise predict SLN positivity risk

Castle Biosciences announced the publication of a new study further demonstrating that DecisionDx-Melanoma can precisely predict sentinel lymph node or SLN, positivity risk to help guide risk-aligned SLNB decisions, potentially reducing the number of unnecessary procedures and increasing the SLNB positivity yield if the procedure is performed. The paper, published in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology and titled “Integrating the melanoma 31-gene expression profile test with clinical and pathologic features can provide personalized precision estimates for sentinel lymph node positivity: an independent performance cohort,” is available here.”Our DecisionDx-Melanoma test has significant clinical utility in helping to rule-out and rule-in SLNB procedures, as this study showed,” added Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. “And as demonstrated by data we shared earlier this year from our ongoing prospective, multicenter DECIDE study, patients with low-risk DecisionDx-Melanoma results whose providers use the test to help guide decisions to avoid SLNB surgery still experience good outcomes.”1 The results of this study demonstrate that DecisionDx-Melanoma can allow for more precise and personalized management of melanoma patients, improving patient selection for the SLNB surgical procedure and reducing unnecessary procedures and their associated healthcare costs. Moreover, the data provide evidence that DecisionDx-Melanoma can identify patients with a low risk of SLN positivity who may safely forego SLNB, as well as those with a higher risk who may want to consider the surgery.