Melanoma Archives | Page 3 of 3 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

How Can Melanoma Affect People of Color?

Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, gets its name from the pigment-producing cells called melanocytes from which tumors can develop. Melanocytes manufacture melanin, a substance in your body that produces hair, eye, and skin pigmentation. Melanin absorbs sunlight and helps to protect skin from DNA damaging ultraviolet light which can contribute to the development of … Read more

What are the Most Common Locations for Melanoma? [Infographic]

by Dana-Farber Staff

Melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer, results from an interaction between the genetics of the individual and damage to DNA from external factors. In the case of melanoma, most of the environmental damage is due to exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun. The cancer develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin … Read more

Melanoma: Five Things You Need to Know

by Dana-Farber Staff

Although skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, melanoma accounts for less than 2 percent of all skin cancer cases. The disease is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Melanoma begins in the melanocytes, which are found on the lower part of the epidermis. The disease can occur anywhere on … Read more

Can Drinking Increase Risk of Malignant Melanoma?

by Dana-Farber Staff

It’s well known that excessive sunning and sunburns can foment the development of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer. Now, in a preliminary study, scientists have suggested that drinking alcohol may be an added risk factor for the disease.

Research Report: New Treatments for Melanoma

by Dana-Farber

As recently as five years ago, progress in treating life-threatening malignant melanoma was slow. Since then, several molecularly targeted drugs have burst on the scene, and new strategies for awakening the immune system to attack the cancer cells have yielded dramatic long-term survival benefits for some patients.

“The outlook for patients has never been so good – and we anticipate that in the next year or two it will be much better,” says Louise M. Perkins, PhD, chief science officer for the Melanoma Research Alliance, which funds research on the skin cancer.

A Talk with Sam Donaldson, Melanoma Survivor

by Dana-Farber

“I don’t believe that optimism can cure cancer, but I do believe one’s general health around the edges can make a difference.” Sam Donaldson, ABC News contributor, learned he had melanoma in 1997. Despite his diagnosis, he opted to stay positive and learn all he could about his disease. Now chairman emeritus of the foundation board … Read more

The Truth About Melanoma and Skin Cancer: Facts and Common Myths

by Dana-Farber Staff

Often caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight, melanoma accounts for only 4 to 5 percent of skin cancer cases, but is responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths. As with many forms of cancer, melanoma is often misunderstood, and myths persist. When detected and treated in its earliest stages, however, melanoma is often … Read more