A simple blood test could be used to identify whether or not skin cancer has started to spread to other parts of the patient's body, according to a recent study.
Scientists at the University of Dundee examined how a single gene, TFP12, affected tumour growth in people with melanoma.
The gene usually stops healthy cells from growing at abnormal rates, but the researchers found that this function was halted by skin cancer - a phenomenon known as DNA methylation.
They theorised that by testing the levels of methylated TFP12 in a patient's blood, doctors could determine whether or not a patient's melanoma had started to spread, planning their future treatment accordingly.
Dr Tim Crook, author of the study, said that at present, detecting tumour growth can be "challenging".
"By using a blood test, we have the basis of a simple and accurate way of discovering how advanced the disease is," he commented.