Melanoma

UV Radiation induces Melanoma

Children who suffer sunburn very early in life are far more likely to suffer the most dangerous form of skin cancer, suggest researchers. In humans, melanocytes, the pigment-producing skin cells where melanoma develops, are on the surface of the skin. It is thought that some melanomas are the result of genetic damage caused when the UV radiation strikes these pigment cells. Babies and young child...

Reduction in melanoma death rate

In the last 25 years, in New York, there has been a declining trend in mortality from malignant melanoma, although its frequency has increased. Researchers at the University of Texas, have analysed data on malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, between 1981 and 1999.// They find there has been a 200 per cent increase in cases among men - from 2.0 cases per 150,000 population to 12...

Latest device for identifying Melanomas

A research from Australian company has finalized development of a digital screening device it says will take the guesswork out of diagnosing melanomas, the third most common cancer in Australia. Victor Skladnev, managing director of Polartechnics said that in terms of its ability to diagnose melanomas, it matches top specialists.// Image analysis and computer-aided diagnostic software...

Specialist surgeon not imperative in melanoma

According to a new study it is observed that the background of the surgeon does not affect the outcome in melanoma. Researchers at the University of Glasgow have surveyed 4,139 melanoma patients who had their tumour removed between 1979 and 1999.// They found the outcomes to be similar, whether the operating surgeon had a background in dermatology, cosmetic work, or general surgery. This is in co...

Tumour marker for melanoma found

According to a recent study it is observed that a molecular marker is linked to prognosis in malignant melanoma. In cancer research today, there is increasing emphasis on looking for molecules// specific to that cancer which might aid in monitoring the progression of the disease. Scientists at New York University now report on a molecular marker called HDM2 which appears to be important in tracki...

Melanoma caused by low DNA repair capacity

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and it has been shown through previous research studies that the risk is increased by exposure to sunlight, whose UV rays cause damage to DNA that triggers cancer. However, it has not been clear why some people are more prone than others to melanoma. Researchers have now found out through a study involving a group of 312 people with melanoma that thos...

Hope for First New Melanoma Treatment in Decades

A new research reveals for the first time one of the mechanisms by which malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, grows and spreads. This discovery may lead to another crucial weapon in the rather small arsenal of treatments available for this dangerous disease and offer the first hope for a new melanoma treatment target in decades. Study proves a role for an important gene c...

Turmeric Found To Slow Down Melanoma Growth

A new study shows that Curcumin- the yellow pigment found in the curry spice turmeric, inhibits melanoma// cell growth and kills tumor cells. It has already been demonstrated that the spice has an anti-cancer effect. Incidence of melanoma, or skin cancer, is increasing rapidly in many with more than 70,000 cases of melanoma and non-melanoma reported each year. In the present study, th...

Gene in Melanomas

Research in mice has drawn a direct link between a human gene and the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.A team led by Professor Marco Polo from the National Centre of Investigative Oncology in Sweden found that genetically engineered mice with a mutation in the gene, known as Cdk4, were more likely to develop melanomas when exposed to cancer-causing agents. Their results appear...

Antigenics Pharmaceuticals plans for Phase III trial of its Melanoma vaccine

Antigenics Pharmaceuticals is to start its Phase III cancer vaccine trial against Melanoma which is a type of skin cancer. Oncophage is the new skin cancer vaccine developed by Antigenics.// The vaccine trial of Oncophage which was conducted in 322 patients failed to meet the required statistically significance results compared to prolongation in survival and the vaccine was not shown to have any...

Skin Cancer History Puts Post-menopausal White Women At Risk For Melanoma

A new study appearing in the online journal Cancer says that elderly white women who have had non-melanoma skin cancer are more likely to develop full blown melanoma regardless of their exposure to the harmful rays of the sun. // The study found that women in the age group of 50 to 79, who had a previous history of basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, had a two-f...

Vaccines developed, to treat melanoma in dogs

University Wisconsin, Madison School of Veterinary Medicine has developed cancer vaccine for the treatment of melanoma in dogs. They have worked in collaboration with the oncologist from Arizona, California, and Michigan. This newly developed// anti-cancer vaccine is very efficient in preventing the death of the animal, but not all dogs with melanoma respond to this treatment. Ilene K...

Experimental Therapy Effective Against Malignant Melanoma in Horses

Dr. John L. Robertson, a professor in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech and director of the college's Center for Comparative // Oncology (CECO) has been studying the similarities of malignant melanoma in horses and humans and has devised an experimental treatment for it. At a presentation before the American Cancer Society in Roanoke, Va., he...

New Technique Could Revolutionize Melanoma Diagnosis and Treatment

Melanoma, a form of skin cancer is the most common tumor to be diagnosed. It has a 99% cure rate if detected early, say researchers from University Hospital of Navarra. // Sadly, the incidence melanoma has been increasing steadily over the recent years. It is the number one killer of women aged between 19 and 50 years. In the U.S., the number of new cases has risen from 6000 to 9000 in just 10 ye...

Twin Treatment Could Be Used Increase Survival Rates In Advanced Melanoma

Patients with advanced metastatic melanoma could live longer if given peptide vaccines after surgery, a new study appearing in the March 15 issue of Cancer has found//. The average survival rate of such patients was 4 years, which was significantly more than seen in previous trials. "Patients with resected Stage IV melanoma can do a lot better than we thought," said lead researcher Dr....

Seattle, a hub for malignant melanoma? Time To Get Sunwise!

Despite all the rain, there seems to be enough shine, making Washington, a hot spot for sun-linked skin cancer malignant melanoma, according to the Environmental// Protection Agency. The EPA's has embarked on a SunWise Program enabling free kits to schools that comprise of 40 activity cards and a white Frisbee that changes color to purple when exposed to the sun's UV rays....

High Death Rate In UK Due To Melanoma Skin Cancer

A survey commissioned by Cancer Research UK to mark Sun Awareness Week found that the high death rate that is associated with melanoma is making it the most dangerous form of skin cancer. // According to the figures that were released, the male deaths in Britain from melanoma skin cancer have risen 31% in the past decade to more than 1,000 a year. It showed that fewer men than women a...

Metastasis Of Ocular Melanoma To Liver Can Now Be Calculated

Scientists claim to have developed a technique to find out if metastasis from the eye cancer will make its way to the liver.// <br.The research scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a test for the prediction of whether melanoma of the eye might spread to the liver, where it could quickly transform into being very lethal. The scientists were als...

A Promising New Vaccination Strategy for Late-Stage Melanoma

A therapeutic cancer vaccine being developed by an international team of cancer immunologists working within the Cancer Research Institute/Ludwig Institute for Cancer// Research Cancer Vaccine Collaborative (CVC) successfully induced a comprehensive, tumor-specific immune response in patients with late-stage metastatic disease, with results indicating that the vaccine had a favorable impact on di...

Why Don’t All Moles Progress to Melanoma

Everyone has moles. Most of the time, they are nothing but a cosmetic nuisance. But sometimes pigment-producing cells in moles called melanocytes// start dividing abnormally to form a deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma. About one in 65 Americans born this year will be diagnosed with melanoma at some point during their lifetime. Scientists know that 30 percent of all melanomas b...

Diptheria Toxin And Interleukin2 Help Killing Melanoma Tumour Cells

Researchers have found a drug containing parts of diptheria toxin as a way to prompt the immune system for recognizing and killing tumour //cell of patients suffering from advanced melanoma (Skin Cancer) In the first part of a phase II clinical trial to test the drug denileukin diftitox (also known as DAB (389) IL2 or ONTAK) in melanoma, five out of seven patients with stage IV disease...

Researchers Develop Basis For Experimental Melanoma Treatment

Two grantees of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), unexpectedly //discovered a potential strategy for treating metastatic melanoma, while investigating a fungus known to cause an infection in people with AIDS. Metastatic Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. The treatment approach, which i...

One-time Melanoma Screening Appears to Be Cost-effective for Elderly People

One-time melanoma screening of adults age 50 or older appears to be as cost-effective as other nationally recommended cancer screening programs, according to an article in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology.// Melanoma is the only cancer for which incidence and death rates continue to increase in the United States, while screening continues to be underused, according to backg...

Pair Up-Prevent Melanoma

It is a study that affirms the role of partners or couples in health care, according to the authors. Publishing results in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology, researchers came to the conclusion that couples //who train together for skin examination sessions are bound to take the sessions more seriously and do the examination more often. This naturally translates to reduced r...

Women - More Likely to Die of Genital Nonmelanoma

Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses commonly linked to the sexually transmitted disease known as genital HPV infection, has long been associated with the// development of certain types of cancers – specifically cervical cancer. However, in some cases, HPV can lead to a type of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma. While squamous cell carcinoma has a 95 percent five-y...

Chances of Survival for Melanoma is High When Detected by Dermatologists

A new report says that melanoma when diagnosed by a dermatologist has a higher survival rate than by a non-dermatologist. The reason is that a specialist will be able to detect// the tumor in its early stages which can be removed thereby increasing the chance of survival. Individuals whose melanoma is diagnosed by a dermatologist may be more likely to have early-stage cancer and to su...

IDM Pharma Presents Preliminary Results of Melanoma Vaccine Clinical Trial

IDM Pharma, Inc. today presented preliminary results from a Phase II UVIDEM (IDD-3) melanoma vaccine clinical trial (DC-MEL-202). The results showed that UVIDEM was well tolerated with evidence of efficacy and induction of immune response in patients with progressive metastatic melanoma. The data were presented by Merrick I. Ross, M.D., Professor of Surgery, Chief, Melanoma Section...

Combination Improves Survival of Metastatic Melanoma Patients: Phase II Study

CHICAGO According to study findings presented today at the 2007 American Association of Clinical Oncology, two chemotherapy drugs combined with an agent that prevents the growth of blood vessels, significantly delayed the spread of tumors in patients with metastatic melanoma. In this phase II clinical trial of 53 patients, tumor growth was delayed by almost six months, whereas, ty...

Myths About Melanoma Could Lead to Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment

Melanoma the most serious form of skin cancer that accounts for more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. Knowing the facts about its causes and characteristics could save your life . Dermatologists hope that dispelling some common myths about melanoma could help more people understand their risk factors and be more aware of melanomas that dont fit the typical diagnostic mold. Desp...

Researchers Identify Immune Dysfunction in Melanoma Patients

Researchers have begun to shed light on why the human immune system isn't able to stop such cancers as melanoma, suggesting answers that could pave the way for better treatment. In a small study, the scientists of Stanford University School of Medicine found that the immune cells in a majority of people with this deadly skin cancer fail to respond properly to a molecule called inte...

Uveal Melanoma Patients at Higher Risk for Colon Cancer

Higher Colon Cancer Risk in Uveal Melanoma Patients and Their Relatives Compared to General Population, will be presented by Frederick H. Davidorf, MD, during the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2007 Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, May 9 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in Hall B/C of the Greater Fort Lau...