Battling Cancer

Sun Smart Campaigns are taking place from Australia to the U.S.

Take a peek at a few videos from all over the world:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Israel
• United States
• United States

Did you know that Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world? According the Cancer Council of Victoria, over 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.

Summer began in February for this country and the Cancer Council of Australia kicked off summer with marie claire magazine’s launch of the SunSmart campaign together with 17 Aussie designers as part of their 150th issue to raise awareness of sun safety. All profits from the sale go to the Cancer Council. “17 designers created limited edition items like sunnies, hats, beach towels and even Swarovski-studded wedges for Australians to get the message: stay in the shade, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat.”

Back in the U.S., Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the American Academy of Dermatology are kicking off the Play Sun Smart Campaign to Strike Out Skin Cancer by raising awareness about skin cancer and offer detection and prevention tips for baseball player, team staff and fans.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control, (CDC) who gives risk factors for skin cancer:

• Lighter natural skin color.
• Family history of skin cancer.
• Personal history of skin cancer.
• Exposure to the sun through work and play.
• A history of sunburns early in life.
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Certain types and a large number of moles.

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Melanoma

A type of cancer that forms in the melanocyte cells, which are the cells that form the melanin or pigment of the skin. Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers, but is the most serious type of skin cancer. Like other skin cancers, it is often curable in the early stages. It can occur anywhere on the skin, but most likely occurs in the trunk of men and the legs of women. The face and neck are also common sites. Melanoma can spread to other parts of the body.

Risk Factors May Include:

• UV light exposure-natural and artificial and a history of severe sunburns
• Moles-excessive number of normal moles (over 50) and large number of atypical moles (dysplastic nevi)
• Fair Skin-occurs more often in people with fair skin, freckles and light hair
• Family History-10% of all people diagnosed have a family history
• Immune Suppression-a weakened immune system due to other factors
• Age-the most common cancer in people younger than 30, but more likely to occur in older populations
• Sex-Men have a higher incidence
• History of Melanoma-people who have had melanoma are at greater risk for a second diagnosis
• Xeroderma Pigmentosum-a rare inherited genetic condition that prevents the skin from repairing

For more information on risk factors see the American Cancer Society site.

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By Michael Russell

Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer and skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the Western world. It begins in skin cells called melanocytes.

(Read the rest of this article …)

By Max Bellamy

Melanoma is a skin disease. Cancerous cells are produced in the melanocytes, cells that are responsible for skin color. Melanocytes, in the skin, are also found in other parts of the body, like the eyes. A majority of documented melanoma infection originates in the skin. It is a skin cancer. Melanoma is also known as malignant melanoma or cutaneous melanoma. It is curable, but an early diagnosis and treatment is very important.

According to scientific research on melanoma, an exposure to ultraviolet radiation is a major cause. Dermatologists often debate on the association of sunlight with melanoma. They believe that occasional exposure to extreme sun cannot be related to melanoma. Melanoma is commonly found in black men.

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By Jayanto Chatterjee

Melanoma is essentially skin cancer. If detected early enough, it can be cured in ninety-five percent of the cases. However, it can also be fatal if allowed to run its course. Melanomas can be almost invisible in some cases, so a cursory examination is not effective in some cases. Hidden melanomas are, fortunately, relatively rare.

All melanomas are formed from cells that produce pigment. These are called melanocytes. So the cancer can develop wherever there is pigmentation in the body. Hidden melanomas can occur in difficult to detect parts of the body, hence the need to do a thorough check annually.

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Inducing melanoma for cancer vaccine development from PhysOrg.com

Cancer vaccines are being investigated in early-phase clinical trials around the world, with many of those trials recruiting patients with melanoma. Although tumor regressions have been seen in 10% to 20% of patients with metastatic melanoma, the great promise of cancer vaccines - controlling tumor growth and cancer spread without serious side-effects - remains as yet unrealized.

This could be set to change with the publication of a new mouse model technology in Cancer Research, the journal of the American Association of Cancer Research, from a multi-national team led by investigators at the Brussels Branch of the global Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR).

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