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Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a noninvasive infrared scanning system to help doctors determine whether pigmented skin growths are benign moles or melanoma, a lethal form of cancer. The prototype system works by looking for the tiny temperature difference between healthy tissue and a growing tumor…

Overexpression of the ARD1A gene (arrest-defective protein 1225) in mice reduced the number and size of both primary tumors and metastases, researchers report in a new study published online March 1 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ARD1A blocks the expression of VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A), an important mediator of blood vessel growth in tumors…

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced that it has entered into an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop a molecular diagnostic test intended for use as an aid in selecting patients who may benefit from a skin cancer treatment in development by GSK…

According to estimates from the American Cancer Society, melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, was responsible for an estimated 8,650 deaths in the United States in 2009…

A Henry Ford Hospital study has shown a link between Vitamin D levels and basal cell carcinoma, a finding that could lead researchers to better understand the development of the most common form of skin cancer…

New Maryland legislation to protect youth from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is based on significant scientific evidence that indoor tanning before the age of 30 is undeniably linked to increased risk of developing the disease. Senator James N. Robey and Delegate William A…

A team of UK scientists has made the unexpected discovery that drugs which target a well known fault in a protein called BRAF could actually fuel the progression of cancer in some cases. The findings of this study, which was jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Wellcome Trust are published in Cell *…

In a study to be published this week, a research team is challenging a prevailing belief about the behavior of a human protein linked to the formation of cancer, possibly breathing new life into the search for therapies that will inhibit that protein from “turning on” genes involved in abnormal cell proliferation…

BMA Cymru Wales is urging all Welsh MPs to support Julie Morgan’s Private Member’s Bill which would close a loophole in the law to protect the public from the dangers of sunbeds. The Bill is receiving its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday. Dr Richard Lewis, Welsh Secretary said: “We are urging all Welsh MPs to remain in Westminster on Friday to support and vote for the Bill…

The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) applauds the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for issuing a consent order that prohibits the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) from making false health and safety claims about indoor tanning…

Measuring certain types of immune cells may predict the high risk of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN)…

Researchers at Ohio State University have found a new way to study how enzymes move as they repair DNA sun damage — and that discovery could one day lead to new therapies for healing sunburned skin. Ultraviolet (UV) light damages skin by causing chemical bonds to form in the wrong places along the DNA molecules in our cells…

The Royal College of Nursing is supporting Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan’s private members bill which would ban under 18s from sun beds and ensure that all sun bed usage in England and Wales would be supervised. Health Secretary Andy Burnham is backing the bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, January 29…

Only about 31 percent of African-American adults engage in at least one form of sun protection behavior such as wearing a hat, while 63 percent never use sunscreen, according to a new study…

Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GETA) announced that the Company has initiated treatment of the first subject in a new Phase 2 trial of tesetaxel in advanced melanoma. Tesetaxel is the Company’s newest clinical-stage small molecule. As a late Phase 2 oncology product, tesetaxel is the leading oral taxane currently in clinical development…

Contrary to previous hypotheses, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs does not appear associated with risk of squamous cell skin cancer, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the April print issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals…

Following a review of the available data on a possible risk of cancer in patients using Regranex (becaplermin), from Janssen-Cilag International N.V., the European Medicines Agency has concluded that the medicine must not be used in patients who have any form of cancer…

Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, afflicts more than 50,000 people in the United States annually and the incidence rate continues to rise. In a study published online in Genome Research (http://www.genome.org), scientists have delved deeper than ever before into the RNA world of the melanoma tumor and identified genomic alterations that could play a role in the disease…

Knowing the stage of a patient’s melanoma is important when choosing the best course of treatment. When the cancer has progressed to the lymph nodes, a more aggressive treatment is needed. Examining an entire lymph node for cancer takes much effort and time; a new technique might help make the process more efficient. University of Missouri researchers in the Christopher S…

While the proven negative health consequences of smoking and tanning are undeniable, tobacco and indoor tanning advertisers would like consumers to think otherwise. In fact, a new study comparing the tactics used in advertising tobacco and indoor tanning products found several similarities in how these two industries market unhealthy products…

BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment of cancer and prevention of infectious disease, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed that BioVex’s ongoing OPTiM clinical study in unresectable Stage IIIb-IV melanoma be amended to include untreated (i.e…

Researchers at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University in Montreal have discovered a previously unsuspected link between two different genetic pathways which suppress the growth of cancer tumours…

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a new model of skin cancer based on the knowledge that a common cancer-related molecule called Src kinase is activated in human skin-cancer samples. “Our previous work demonstrated that Src kinases are activated in human squamous cell carcinomas of the skin…

Facet Biotech Corporation (Nasdaq: FACT) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced that potentially promising data from a Phase I/II study of elotuzumab, an investigational humanized antibody being studied for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma (MM), were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2009 Annual Meeting in New Orleans…

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a new model of skin cancer based on the knowledge that a common cancer-related molecule called Src kinase is activated in human skin-cancer samples. “Our previous work demonstrated that Src kinases are activated in human squamous cell carcinomas of the skin…

BioAlliance Pharma SA (Paris:BIO), a company dedicated to the treatment and supportive care of cancer and AIDS patients, announces the approval from the French Drug Agency (AFFSSaPS) to enter Phase II clinical trial for clonidine Lauriad® in radiotherapy and chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis and the approval from Danish and Slovene Agencies to enter Phase I clinical trial…

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) announced the initiation of a Phase 3 registration clinical trial for KRX-0401 (perifosine), the Company’s PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor, in relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma patients…

Welsh Secretary of the BMA, Dr Richard Lewis said: “We are delighted that Julie Morgan MP has chosen to use her Private Members Bill to close a loophole in law to protect the public – particularly young people – from the dangers of sunbeds and from over-exposure to intense UV radiation…

One person dies from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, almost every hour. Yet melanoma is often successfully treated, if caught early. That’s why thousands of dermatologists across the country offer free skin cancer screenings in their communities through the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program…

Research teams led by UK scientists have sequenced the entire genome of two deadly cancers, malignant melanoma and lung cancer, revealing for the first time almost all of the tens of thousands of mutations in the DNA of cancer cells that occur during a person’s lifetime…

Research teams led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute announce the first comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes. All cancers are caused by mutations in the DNA of cancer cells which are acquired during a person’s lifetime. The studies, of a malignant melanoma and a lung cancer, reveal for the first time essentially all the mutations in the genomes of two cancers…

“15 cigarettes equal one DNA mutation” captures graphically the enormity of what was discovered when a UK-led team of scientists reported this week how they cracked the code of two killer cancers: small cell lung cancer and malingnant melanoma. Another compelling revelation was they said they could see “sunlight’s signature” in the DNA mutations of the melanoma cells…

Up to 25% of cancer patients develop metastases in the brain – often long after successful treatment of the primary tumor. In almost all such cases, the prognosis is poor. The mechanisms responsible for the appearance of brain metastases have long been mysterious. Now a research team led by neurologist Dr…

Many heart transplant patients develop multiple skin cancers, with increased risk for some skin cancers among patients with other cancers and with increasing age, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals…

White and Hispanic individuals are being diagnosed with melanoma more frequently in recent years, whereas Hispanic and black patients continue to have advanced skin cancer at diagnosis, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Nationwide, the incidence (rate of new cases diagnosed) of melanoma increased 2…

Inhibition of transcription factor E2F1 reduced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and reduced the invasive potential but not proliferation of metastatic melanoma cells, according to a brief communication published online December 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. To investigate E2F1’s role in cancer progression, Brigitte M. Pützer, M.D., Ph.D…

It’s the season to be jolly, but the AMA is reminding people that it is also the season to be sun smart to reduce the risk of skin cancer. AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said many people look forward to spending time at the beach or taking part in other outdoor activities over the holiday period, following their family gatherings at Christmas…

People with the heritable disorder of the skin called Gorlin syndrome who are genetically predisposed to develop basal cell carcinoma of the skin may have a new chemoprevention therapy on the horizon…

A widely-available anti-inflammatory prescription drug can reduce the risk of a common skin cancer in humans, according to a researcher at Stanford’s School of Medicine…

Health Canada has approved Zyclara™ (imiquimod) Cream 3.75%, a topical prescription treatment for multiple actinic keratoses (AK) located on the face or balding scalp in adults. Actinic Keratosis is a common skin condition that can lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a form of non-melanoma skin cancer, if left untreated…

High-frequency ultrasound with elastography can help differentiate between cancerous and benign skin conditions, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “High-frequency ultrasound with elastography has the potential to improve the efficiency of skin cancer diagnosis,” said lead author Eliot L. Siegel, M.D…

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are developing a new device that detects cancerous skin tumors, including melanomas that aren’t visible to the naked eye. During initial testing, the OSPI instrument (Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging) revealed new textures of lesions that have never been seen before – including melanoma in patients who were diagnosed with various skin lesions and were awaiting surgery for their removal.

A cancer vaccine carried into the body on a carefully engineered, fingernail-sized implant is the first to successfully eliminate tumors in mammals, scientists report this week in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The new approach, pioneered by bioengineers and immunologists at Harvard University, uses plastic disks impregnated with tumor-specific antigens and implanted under the skin to reprogram the mammalian immune system to attack tumors.

New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population. In a study published online in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology [1], researchers found that there was an average 185.

Tomorrow Scotland takes steps to protect children from sunbeds by banning under 18s from using them and ensuring adults are fully informed of the risks, Cancer Research UK wants Westminster to bring the rest of the UK up to Scottish standards.

The BMA in Northern Ireland welcomed the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey’s consultation into the regulation of the sunbed industry in Northern Ireland. Dr Paul Darragh, Chairman of the BMA’s Northern Ireland Council said, “Doctors are concerned about the rising incidences of skin cancer in Northern Ireland and the access that people have to sunbeds for cosmetic use.

High irradiances of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) should not be used over melanomas. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Cancer studied the pain relieving, anti-inflammatory ‘cold laser’, finding that it caused increased tumour growth in a mouse model of skin cancer. Jan M. Bjordal from Bergen University College, Norway worked with a team of Brazilian researchers to carry out the in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GETA.OB) announced preliminary results that show a high objective response rate in a pilot study of patients with advanced melanoma that incorporates the Company’s lead oncology product, Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) Injection, administered for the first time as a 1-hour high-dose intravenous (IV) infusion. The data were featured this week in a presentation at the annual World Meeting of Interdisciplinary Melanoma/Skin Cancer Centers in Berlin, Germany.

Sunbeds should be off limits to the under 18s and should not be used for cosmetic tanning – say scientists at the Health Protection Agency. The issue of sunbed use has come back into the public eye following the publication of Cancer Research UK research in the British Medical Journal which shows worrying levels of sunbed use by under-18s. The HPA’s position on sunbeds is: ‘Sunbeds emit UVR. Sunbeds cause tanning and can cause sunburn.

More than one quarter of a million children aged 11-17 are risking their health by seeking a tan from sunbeds – warn Cancer Research UK researchers in a letter published today in the British Medical Journal. In England, on average, six per cent of 11-17 year olds use sunbeds.