Melanoma Condition Center Debuts

This month, we introduce a new condition center on www.PharmacyTimes.com covering melanoma, which accounts for approximately 5% of skin cancers, but is responsible for 3 times as many deaths as all other skin cancers combined. Once rare, melanoma’s incidence has increased along with people’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Although anyone can develop melanoma, genetic factors can increase one’s risk, including having a light complexion, an inability to tan, red hair, blue eyes, or familial mole/melanoma syndrome. The first-line treatment for melanoma is surgical removal of the malignant lesion and a margin of healthy skin, but a number of medications play a role in treatment as well.

Some topics that will be covered in the melanoma condition center include:

• A smartphone app that helps track moles that may indicate the development of melanoma
• The discovery of a T-cell with the potential to help fight melanoma
• The promise of combination therapy in treating melanoma