Skin Cancer

New research suggests that there are some potential predictive biomarkers relating to the efficacy and toxicity of emerging treatments for metastatic melanoma.

There has been a rapid revolution in the treatment of metastatic melanoma since the identification of driver oncogenes such as BRAF and its mutations more than a decade ago, according to a clinical researcher at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tenn.

A virus injected into mice with melanoma proved effective for prompting an immune system response that killed the virus and the tumor, a recent study demonstrated.

Mohs micrographic surgery is the ideal treatment option for high-risk skin cancers occurring on the face, results of a study show.

An odor emitted by melanoma through skin cells allows the disease to be detectable noninvasively, results of a recent study indicate.

Women who contract melanoma may have higher survival rates than those of men who get the disease, due to a biologic sex trait, results of a recent study indicate.

Patients who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of melanoma, according to study results presented recently.

Recent developments in tanning bed restrictions as well as improved sunscreen testing and labeling have raised the stakes in the ongoing battle against melanoma.

New and cutting edge technologies are proving useful for clinical diagnosis and early detection of melanoma. Depending on the diagnostic tool used, clinicians can improve their assessment of suspicious lesions and better evaluate the fine nuances differentiating benign and malignant pigmented lesions.

The FDA approved two drugs and a companion diagnostic for the treatment of advanced metastatic melanoma Wednesday, the organization announced.

Elderly patients with nonfatal skin cancers may not benefit from surgery, according to recent findings.

The Food and Drug Administration is proposing that indoor tanning beds be labeled with warnings to notify users about the risks of developing skin cancer from the devices.

Recent advances in radiation therapy for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) have resulted in a resurgence of targeted photon therapy, a treatment modality particularly useful in an outpatient setting. In carefully selected patients and cases, radiation therapy can often be the treatment of choice for NMSCs, says a clinician who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

New topical agents such as ingenol mebutate (Picato, Leo Pharma), reformulations of standing local treatments as well as combination therapies are not only proving to be very useful in the clearance of actinic keratosis (AK), but they also help address the common issues regarding field therapy.

Patients who have had nonmelanoma skin cancer are at a greater risk of contracting a secondary cancer at another site, researchers have found.

An index that combines serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels with morphology, attenuation, size and structure (MASS) criteria response helps to predict survival in patients with metastatic melanoma who take bevacizumab.

While still rare, the incidence of melanoma in children is trending upward, according to researchers who presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research.

A quarter of patients who survive melanoma don’t use sunscreen when spending extended time outdoors, according to findings reported at the American Association of Cancer Research meeting.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a bill that prohibits minors under age 17 from using indoor tanning facilities, and bars minors under age 14 from using spray tanning procedures.

A repair procedure involving a full-thickness skin graft and a separately harvested auricular cartilage graft allow for correction of deep nasal alar defects after Mohs micrographic surgery, results of a study indicate.

Although Mohs micrographic surgery represents the gold standard for treatment of many skin cancers, says an expert, healthcare reform dictates that dermatologists also consider less costly options when appropriate.

Treating uncommon tumors that present in a Mohs surgical unit requires matching the tumor’s clinical history and histopathology with available therapies, says an expert who spoke at the 71st annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting.

The many vagaries of lentigo maligna (LM) or melanoma in situ typically demand staged excision techniques for maximal margin control, according to an expert who spoke at the 71st annual American Academy of Dermatology conference.

Numerous therapies are making a significant difference in the management of metastatic melanoma, according to an expert who spoke at the annual Canadian Melanoma Conference.

Continued research has led to new and exciting noninvasive therapies for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), lentigo maligna and malignant melanoma, offering some patients an alternative to surgery and/radiation treatment approaches.

Total immersion photography, performed with the Melanoscan device (Melanoscan Inc.), has the potential to reduce operator error and possibly catch nearly all melanomas in the noninvasive stage, says an expert.

The treatment and management of skin cancers in organ transplant recipients (OTR) is challenging. Recent breakthrough medications and combination treatment approaches have resulted in more effective therapeutic options for this patient population.

Women who regularly take aspirin have a 21 percent lower risk of developing melanoma than those who do not take the drug, results of a recent study indicate.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Lymphoseek, a radioactive diagnostic imaging agent to locate lymph nodes in patients with certain cancers, including melanoma.

More states and municipalities are considering enacting laws that would restrict minors from using indoor tanning facilities.