Current Research Interesting Facts

Doctors are working to learn more

about melanoma, ways to prevent it, ➔ Melanoma is the cancer
how to best treat it, and how to with the highest survival
provide the best care to people rate
diagnosed with this disease. A few
new things doctors are working on
➔ 1 in 50 Americans will
are enhanced prevention, early
detection methods, targeted therapy,
develop melanoma
which is a treatment that targets
specific genes or proteins, ➔ Melanoma is the only
immunotherapy; Researchers are preventable cancer in
studying new checkpoint inhibitors which the mortality rate
and immunotherapies directed at
has not declined
other parts of the immune system
which includes TIM3 inhibitors, LAG3
inhibitors, OX40 agonists, CD137 ➔ Melanoma can go away on
agonists, GITR agonists, and IDO its own
inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy,
chimeric antigen receptor T-cell ➔ Although most
therapy, T-cell receptor therapy;
melanomas are
these all alter a person’s white blood
cells, vaccines, which may improve
black/brown, they can also
the immune response to melanoma, be colorless, and appear as
and palliative care/supportive care pink bumps under the
which is trying to find better ways of skin
reducing symptoms and side effects
of current melanoma treatment
options to improve comfort and Remay Berhane
quality of life for patients. Period 5
 Symptoms
Symptoms of melanoma
include: A new spot on the
skin or a spot that is
changing in size, shape, or
color, or basically, a mole
changing in size, shape, or
color.
Lifestyle Choices
Associated With This
Cancer
A few lifestyle choices and
risk factors associated with
melanoma is tanning a lot,
or UV exposure, working
outdoor during the day,
when the sun is out, or
spending many of your
leisure time outside.
Treatment Options How common is it,
There are different and which groups are
treatments recommended at higher risk?
for each stage of melanoma.
Melanoma is very common.
Stage 0: It’s usually treated by
surgery to remove the Especially in middle-aged
melanoma and a small margin white men, or white people in
of normal skin around it. general. Women age 49 and
Stage I: usually treated by under are more likely to
wide excision which is surgery develop melanoma than any
to remove the melanoma and a other cancer excluding breast
margin of normal skin around and thyroid cancers. From age
it.
50+, more men develop
Stage II: Wide excision: best melanoma than women. The
treatment for stage II majority of people who
melanoma. Many doctors
recommend a sentinel lymph develop melanoma are white
node biopsy too. If cancer cells men over age 55. So, the group
aren’t found in the lymph most likely to get melanoma
nodes, then no further
are white, middle-aged, and
treatment is needed.
senior men, over 55.
Stage III: A few for this stage
are surgical treatment,
immune checkpoint inhibitor,
targeted therapy drugs
Stage IV: These skin tumors
or enlarged lymph nodes can
be treated and removed
through surgery and radiation
therapy
Sources:
1. “Cancer Survival Rates.” The Nuffield Trust, 22 May 2020,
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/cancer-survival-rates.
2. “11 Facts About Melanoma.” DoSomething.org, 2014,
www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-melanoma.
3. Ciurea, Ana. “Melanoma Prevention, Screening and Diagnosis - Dr. Ana Ciurea.”
SlideShare, SlideShare, 12 Feb. 2015,
www.slideshare.net/MelanomaResearchFoundation/understanding-melanoma-ana-ci
urea.
4. Pernambuco-Holsten, Christina Pernambuco. “5 Surprising Facts about Melanoma.”
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 29
May 2019, www.mskcc.org/news/five-surprising-facts-about-melanoma.
5. “Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer, by Stage.” American Cancer Society, American
Cancer Society, 14 Aug. 2019,
www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating/by-stage.html.
6. “Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics.” The Skin Cancer Foundation, Skin Cancer
Foundation, 4 Dec. 2020,
www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/.
7. “Melanoma - Latest Research.” Cancer.Net, Cancer.Net, 2 Sept. 2020,
www.cancer.net/cancer-types/melanoma/latest-research.