Skin Cancer

Researchers have identified a functional biomarker that can predict whether BRAF-mutant melanomas respond to drugs targeting the gene. The finding could help guide treatment of patients with these cancers.

Except in limited instances, an expert says, topical therapies for medical management of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) work best as adjuncts to surgery.

Some misconceptions have sprung up about sunscreen SPF values. Curtis Cole, Ph.D., sees a need to dispel some myths, and a need for for dermatologists to do a better job of educating their patients about sun protection.

An attempt to positively affect stage 2 melanomas with a certain vaccine didn’t prove beneficial in a recent study by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

New research suggests that the body’s internal clock and its circadian rhythms adjust the modulation of skin stem cells based on the time of day - and that disruption to this cycle can cause tissue aging and lead to predisposition to skin cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration has granted 510(k) clearance to Nucletron for Esteya, an electronic brachytherapy system for high-precision skin cancer treatment.

Long-term analysis of patients with advanced melanoma taking ipilimumab demonstrated survival rates of up to 10 years, according to recent research.

Dermatologists are using an evolving collection of combination therapies designed to address different aspects of disease, monotherapy limitations and failures, as well as enhance treatment.

Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring compound in broccoli, may offer potential as a sunscreen additive, recent research indicates.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Council on Science and Research’s Research Agenda work group has identified three keys areas - pruritus, cutaneous oncology and performance measurement and outcomes - to target in the future for continuing research in the dermatology specialty.

Melanoma is a hot topic on Twitter and thanks to hashtags, it’s easy to see what everyone is saying about the disease. Here are some recent posts about #melanoma that we found interesting this week.

Photographs of skin cancers caused patients to be more likely to conduct skin self-examinations, according to results of a recent study.

A new genetic test can identify patients with nonmetastatic melanoma who are at high risk of recurrence, according to validation data presented at the 2013 summer meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Various approaches are being initiated to treat wild-type, BRAF mutated melanoma, according to the director of the Melanoma Program and co-leader of the Signal Transduction Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Efforts to prevent and chemoprevent melanoma are ongoing, and though much still needs to be done, one expert says some inroads are being made that may impact mortality, morbidity and quality of life.

Patients with skin cancer have better odds of survival if they have more than one primary tumor, according to results of a recent study.

Many pediatric patients with melanoma do not demonstrate symptoms falling within the ABCDE detection criteria, researchers say.

One in seven survivors of basal cell carcinoma returns to indoor tanning beds despite their history of skin cancer, results of a new study indicate.

A small group of congressional leaders have teamed with dermatology groups to form a bipartisan caucus focused on addressing the epidemic of skin cancer in the United States.

Melanoma recurs in about one in 20 patients about 10 years after their initial treatment, according to a recent study.

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.