Melanoma
hideMelanoma (pronounced /ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/ ( listen)) is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). It is one of the less common types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths. Malignant melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer. It is due to uncontrolled growth of pigment cells, called melanocytes. Despite many years of intensive laboratory and clinical research, the sole effective cure is surgical resection of the primary tumor before it achieves a Breslow thickness greater than 1 mm.
Around 160,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed nationally each year, and it is more frequent in males and Caucasians. It is more common in Caucasian populations living in sunny climates than in other groups. According to a WHO report about 48,000 melanoma related deaths occur worldwide per year.
Malignant melanoma accounts for 75 percent of all deaths associated with skin cancer.
The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor, adjuvant treatment, chemo- and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy.
For more information about Melanoma, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with melanoma
Nanoparticles Target Multiple Cancer Genes, Shrink Tumors More Effectively
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Oct 28, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (37) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Nanoparticles filled with small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules targeting two genes that trigger melanoma have shown that they can inhibit the development of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. ...
Does too much sun cause melanoma?
Jul 23, 2008 |
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We are continuously bombarded with messages about the dangers of too much sun and the increased risk of melanoma (the less common and deadliest form of skin cancer), but are these dangers real, or is staying out of the sun ...
Scientists probe limits of 'cancer stem-cell model'; Melanoma does not fit the model
Dec 03, 2008 |
4.3 / 5 (13) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the most promising new ideas about the causes of cancer, known as the cancer stem-cell model, must be reassessed because it is based largely on evidence from a laboratory test that ...
Targeted nanospheres find, penetrate, then fuel burning of melanoma
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 02, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
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Hollow gold nanospheres equipped with a targeting peptide find melanoma cells, penetrate them deeply, and then cook the tumor when bathed with near-infrared light, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas ...
Vegetable-based drug could inhibit melanoma
Mar 01, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
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Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target ...
New drug shows promise in the fight against malignant melanoma
Sep 29, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Gavin Robertson is not a man who uses the word ‘hate’ lightly, but he makes no secret of his desire to slay the dragon that is malignant melanoma.
Researchers discover gene mutation that causes eye cancer
Dec 10, 2008 |
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A University of British Columbia geneticist has discovered a gene mutation that can cause the most common eye cancer - uveal melanoma.
Stress May Hasten The Growth Of Melanoma Tumors But Common Beta-Blocker Medications Might Slow That Progress
Jan 30, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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For patients with a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer - malignant melanoma - stress, including that which comes from simply hearing that diagnosis, might amplify the progression of their disease.
Drug combination may be effective against deadly melanoma, pilot study shows
Mar 06, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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By targeting and disabling a protein frequently found in melanoma tumors, doctors may be able to make the cancer more vulnerable to chemotherapy, according to early results of a clinical study conducted by researchers in ...
New melanoma tumor suppressor gene uncovered
Mar 29, 2009 |
4 / 5 (5) |
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have identified a gene that suppresses tumor growth in melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The finding is reported today in the journal Nature Genetics as part of a s ...
Variant of vitamin D receptor gene linked to melanoma risk
Sep 22, 2008 |
4.3 / 5 (4) |
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A new analysis indicates an association between a gene involved in vitamin D metabolism and skin cancer. Published in the November 1, 2008 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study ...
Prototype test for predicting clinical outcome for melanoma patients
Aug 15, 2008 |
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Investigators from the Melbourne Center of the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) and Pacific Edge Biotchnology Ltd today reported that they have developed a test to predict whether a patient will progress ...
Team identifies a molecular switch linking infectious disease and depression
Mar 31, 2009 |
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Researchers at the University of Illinois report that IDO, an enzyme found throughout the body and long suspected of playing a role in depression, is in fact essential to the onset of depressive symptoms sparked ...
Germany bans solariums for under-18s
Jun 19, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (4) |
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The German lower house of parliament on Friday passed a law banning under-18s from going to solariums because of the risks of developing skin cancer.
Fish oils to boost skin health
Jan 20, 2009 |
4 / 5 (3) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have launched a pioneering study to discover whether fatty acids found in oily fish could improve skin immunity, so reducing the risk of skin cancer.
