Melanoma Prevention: Does Staying in the Shade Prevent Sunburn?
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight, along with sunburns, can increase the risk of skin cancer and melanoma.
Melanoma
Psychosocial Care Helps Amy through Cancer’s Mental Side
Cancer can feel like a slog — not just a physical one, but an emotional one, too. That’s how 56-year-old business owner Amy Macdonald describes the past year and a half living with metastatic melanoma. “The biggest changes in my life are the consequences of the treatment – fatigue, body aches, brain fog, and mental … Read more
Cancer Treatment: A Look at How It Has Evolved in 70 Years
In 1947, when Dana-Farber Cancer Institute founder Sidney Farber, MD, set out to find a drug treatment for childhood leukemia, cancer treatment took two forms – surgery to cut out cancerous masses, and radiation therapy to burn them out. Cancers that couldn’t be removed or irradiated – either because of their position in the body, because … Read more
Is There a Connection between Cancer Medications and Increased Sunburn Risk?
By Nicole LeBoeuf, MD, MPH, clinical director of Dana-Farber’s Center for Cutaneous Oncology While many people know that traditional chemotherapy drugs can increase sensitivity to the sun, some of the newer targeted therapies do as well. In fact, the risk of sun-related skin damage may be even higher with certain targeted drugs than with chemotherapy agents. … Read more
New Tanning Drug Could Protect Skin From the Sun
Scientists may have figured out a way to let people tan safely – without involving the sun. In an effort to further develop preventative measures for skin cancers like melanoma, researchers from Dana-Farber and other health care organizations have developed a potential topical cream that stimulates skin cells to produce the dark pigment, melanin. Melanin … Read more
Immunotherapy Gives Melanoma Patient “Another Chance”
For nearly 50 years, Jay Schwab wondered whether the melanoma he survived as a young man would return in a more serious form. When it did, in 2016, Dana-Farber was ready with a revolutionary response. A retired pediatric dentist, Schwab is one of a growing number of Dana-Farber patients thriving in treatment due to breakthroughs … Read more
Know Your Moles: When You Should Be Concerned about Melanoma
When it comes to skin growths that can lead to melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – Dana-Farber oncologist Elizabeth Buchbinder, MD, stresses the importance of both surveillance and a sense of history. “Moles are formed when skin cells known as melanocytes grow in clusters, and most never cause any trouble,” Buchbinder explains. … Read more
Which U.S. States Have the Highest Rates of Melanoma?
Melanoma is a rare form of skin cancer that typically begins in a mole. It can occur anywhere on the body, and although it is the least common type of skin cancer, it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body and, ultimately, cause death. Within the United States, Utah has the … Read more
When Should I See a Dermatologist?
Skin cancer is very common: One in five Americans will develop the disease at some point in their lifetime. Usually, it is caused by overexposure to the sun and harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, such as those in tanning beds. Melanoma, the least common but most dangerous form of skin cancer, typically begins in a mole … Read more
ASCO 2016 Update: Immunotherapy and Melanoma
As one of the hottest topics in cancer research today, immunotherapy took center stage at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. Harold J. Burstein, MD, PhD, a breast oncologist in the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recently sat down with other oncologists to break down … Read more
Cancer Conversations Podcast – Episode #10: Melanoma — What’s the Latest?
Although less common than other types of skin cancer, melanoma is a dangerous disease that can spread rapidly if it is not caught early. In addition to regular self exams, it is crucial to protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun — regardless of your age, skin color, or the time of year. … Read more
The Cell that Caused Melanoma: Cancer’s Surprise Origins, Caught in Action
This post originally appeared on Vector, Boston Children’s Hospital’s science and clinical innovation blog. It’s long been a mystery why some of our cells can have mutations associated with cancer, yet are not truly cancerous. Now researchers have, for the first time, watched a cancer spread from a single cell in a live animal, and … Read more
What Is CTLA-4 and How Does it Work in Treating Metastatic Melanoma?
Since the early 2000s, when Dana-Farber scientists discovered that many cancer cells carry “checkpoint” proteins that ward off an immune system attack on tumors, a great deal of research has focused on the development and testing of agents capable of blocking those proteins. In many patients, such agents have sent cancers into long-term remissions. A checkpoint … Read more
Remission of Jimmy Carter’s Melanoma Shows Potential of Immunotherapy for Cancer
Former President Jimmy Carter’s announcement earlier this week that he is free of the melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain may be the highest-profile example yet of the promise of a new form of cancer treatment that unleashes an immune system attack on the disease. Carter, 91, was treated with radiation therapy … Read more
Does Having More Moles Increase My Risk of Melanoma?
Moles are benign growths on the skin that sometimes become cancerous. But what exactly is the connection between moles and melanoma, the most aggressive skin cancer? While it’s true that people with many moles should be screened more frequently by a dermatologist, scientists are learning that the mole-melanoma connection isn’t so straightforward. For example, a … Read more
FDA Approves Targeted Therapy Combination for Melanoma
Just over a month after approving a first-of-its-kind combination therapy for advanced melanoma, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has signed off on another drug combination to treat the disease. The FDA has approved a targeted therapy combination, Cotellic (cobimetinib) and vemurafenib, to treat advanced melanoma that has spread to other parts of the … Read more
FDA Approves Immunotherapy Drug Combination for Melanoma
This blog post originally appeared on Cancer Research Catalyst, the official blog of the American Association for Cancer Research. By Karen Honey, PhD Last week, new ground was broken in the field of cancer immunotherapy when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first cancer treatment to combine two of these cutting-edge agents: … Read more
What Is the Link Between Diet and Melanoma?
By Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD When it comes to sun safety, lathering on sunscreen, sporting broad-brimmed hats and staying in the shade surely come to mind. But diet and melanoma may also be linked. Here is some information on the emerging research around obesity, antioxidant intake, vitamin D and other potential nutrition-related links to melanoma. … Read more
Melanoma – What’s the Latest?
Sun safety applies to everyone, regardless of skin color, gender, or age. That was the message emphasized in a recent live video webchat with Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) dermatologist Jennifer Lin, MD. During the chat, Lin answered questions about the latest in melanoma treatment and prevention. “The bottom line is that UV radiation … Read more
Can Kids Get Melanoma? What Parents Need to Know
Medically reviewed by Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD Although melanoma is more commonly found in adults, childhood and adolescent melanoma affects approximately 300 children in the U.S. each year. Thankfully, the incidence rate has started to decrease in recent years. While melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer in adults, skin cancer in children is almost … Read more