Related topics: cancer , cancer cells , skin cancer
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
Lung cancer and melanoma laid bare: First comprehensive analysis of two cancer genomes
Dec 16, 2009 |
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Research teams led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute announce the first comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes. All cancers are caused by mutations in the DNA of cancer cells which are acquired during a person's lifetime. ...
Study: Cancer may pass from mother to unborn child
Oct 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has provided genetic evidence for the first time that it is possible for a mother to transmit cancer to her unborn child via the placenta.
Germany bans solariums for under-18s
Jun 19, 2009 |
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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.
New melanoma tumor suppressor gene uncovered
Mar 29, 2009 |
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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 ...
Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma
Nov 09, 2009 |
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Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. Now it may be possible to identify ...
Study reveals new genetic culprit in deadly skin cancer
Aug 31, 2009 |
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Drawing on the power of DNA sequencing, National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a new group of genetic mutations involved in the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. This discovery is particularly encouraging ...
Vaccine shows therapeutic promise against advanced melanoma
Jun 01, 2009 |
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A vaccine for one of the most lethal cancers, advanced melanoma, has shown improved response rates and progression-free survival for patients when combined with the immunotherapy drug, Interleukin-2, according to researchers ...
New method for detection of phosphoproteins reveals regulator of melanoma invasion
Apr 09, 2009 |
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Scientists have developed a new approach for surveying phosphorylation, a process that is regulated by critical cell signaling pathways and regulates several key cellular signaling events. The research, published by Cell ...
Novel lung cancer vaccine shows promise in fighting early-stage lung cancer
Apr 06, 2009 |
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An experimental vaccine that triggers the patient's immune system to identify and attack specific tumor cells is showing new promise for the treatment of early lung cancer. Thoracic surgeons at Rush University Medical Center ...
Study finds new risk factor for melanoma in younger women
Mar 24, 2009 |
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Researchers may have found a more potent risk factor for melanoma than blistering sunburns, freckling, or family history of the deadly skin disease. In a new study, scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center report that a genetic ...
Scientists create mouse model of melanoma that generates hope for the use of targeted therapies
Mar 12, 2009 |
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Researchers have developed a new mouse model that allows them to replicate normal pigment cells at the earliest stages of conversion to malignant skin cancer in humans. After testing the mouse with a combination of two drug ...
Drug combination may be effective against deadly melanoma, pilot study shows
Mar 06, 2009 |
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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 ...
Melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, is rising rapidly in the United States
Mar 04, 2009 |
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Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has increased rapidly in the United States in recent years, a new study reveals. Some experts have argued that the rising rates are merely a result of expanded screening, which ...
Vegetable-based drug could inhibit melanoma
Mar 01, 2009 |
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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 ...
Researchers find micro RNA plays a key role in melanoma metastasis
Feb 09, 2009 |
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Scientists have long wondered how melanoma cells travel from primary tumors on the surface of the skin to the brain, liver and lungs, where they become more aggressive, resistant to therapy, and deadly. Now, scientists ...
