Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin, which gives color to our skin, hair, and eyes. It usually starts as a dark spot or mole, but it can quickly become dangerous and spread to other parts of the body if not treated early.
Full definition
The development
of melanoma independent of sun exposure has only recently been described in mice.
This is the first time in over 30 years that this level of response has been seen
in melanoma patients in any clinical trial.
When the strain was introduced to mice
with melanoma cells, the tumors were over 60 percent smaller than those that had not received the strain.
In one study, up to 57 percent of
melanoma patients were able to diagnose themselves through self - exams.
What is the significance of this research
for melanoma patients and for the general population?
In mice, the team has succeeded in making the IL - 2 gene switch on in
melanoma cells.
You've likely heard of
malignant melanoma in humans, and unfortunately, our furry friends can get it as well.
The Phase 2, double - blind trial enrolled 142 patients with
advanced melanoma who had not received prior therapy.
People with light - coloured eyes have an increased likelihood to
develop melanoma of the eye compared to people with brown eyes.
A school teacher and mom of two died
from melanoma cancer in 2004.
More continuous sun exposure (e.g. through working outdoors) showed some evidence of being related to increased risk of
melanoma on the limbs - but only in hot countries.
Numerous clinical trials involving the use of
melanoma tumor vaccines have been conducted or are underway.
Over 15,000 patients will be diagnosed with
melanoma cancer every year, a diagnosis that can be daunting for a patients and their loved ones.
And you can play a major part in protecting against
melanoma by your own skin best practices.
I recently discovered my pooch had growth on his paw and after a few tests, it was diagnosed
as melanoma.
To test their hypothesis, the researchers carried out experiments on
human melanoma cells, a line of cancer cells they chose for their ability to grow easily and quickly.
I didn't know much
about melanoma before this ordeal, and I never thought I was at risk.
Instead, the dog was treated with a combination of radiation,
melanoma vaccine, and chemotherapy.
Approximately 25 % of dogs diagnosed with
oral melanoma will survive for one year; 75 % will not survive even this long.
In the advanced -
stage melanoma setting, therapeutic approaches for patients who have failed prior approved treatments are critically needed.
An individual's clinical risk factors could help guide skin cancer screening and identify those at high risk for
melanoma who could benefit from increased surveillance.
When the risks are high: Psychological adjustment among
melanoma survivors at high risk of developing new primary disease.
And now a new study, published in the journal Science Advances, revealed that a specific type of skin bacteria actually protects us against cancers
like melanoma.
Unfortunately, the average lifespan of an animal following malignant
melanoma diagnosis is five to eight months.
Given that four out of every five
melanoma deaths are preventable, education on the prevention and early detection of skin cancer is clearly paramount.
It's also a straightforward explanation for the poor skin and sharply rising
melanoma incidence of Western nations (source).
Truth: You do not have to have had a lot of sun exposure to
get melanoma.
Most melanoma patients respond to treatment at first but their cancer can become resistant within a year.
Importantly, the mouse
melanoma lesions are far less complex than their human counterparts.
A 2000 Swedish study concluded that higher rates of
melanoma occurred in those who used sunscreen versus those who did not.
Canine melanoma most often occurs in the mouth, with the foot pad and nail bed another frequent location.
If melanoma cells can be made to produce IL - 2, this should stimulate a strong, specific immune response against them.
It's long been known that women with advanced
melanoma live longer than men with the disease.
For example,
melanoma found in the mouth or that has spread will usually not have as good of an outcome.
She said that in most cases, the participants had been diagnosed with stage 1 disease,
when melanoma is often easily treated and has a five - year survival rate of 98 percent.
The five - year survival rate for people
whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 99 percent, the group says.
Although it comprises less than 5 % of skin cancer cases,
melanoma accounts for the great majority of skin cancer - related deaths.
The group of patients who developed
melanoma also had a greater proportion of living donors, according to the results.