While the sky isn’t falling in quite yet, there are major concerns about how the sunlight is affecting our skin and causing increasing numbers of serious and potentially fatal skin cancers. On the other hand, we also read about how we’re not getting enough sunlight and we’re becoming Vitamin D deficient.

Moderation is absolutely the key in most things. By taking in bits of sunshine to satisfy our vitamin D needs, we’re not usually exposing ourselves to enough sunlight to have to worry about melanoma (skin cancer). However, by believing in certain myths, we just may be increasing our risk.

To help you sort out what is what when it comes to sunshine and skin cancer, here is a video made by Dr. Neil Schultz,  a practicing NYC dermatologist. Click on the TV screen below to watch Dr. Schultz as he debunks five common myths about skin cancer.

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Image: iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

5 Myths About Skin Cancer, Video Tuesday

They have sounded warnings in the past about the use of tanning beds and booths, but they are still popular among many, particularly the younger adults and teens. The tanning done by this method allows strong ultraviolet rays to hit the skin and cause damage. This damage has a high chance of developing into skin cancer years down the road.

Researchers looked at 20 different studies and, using those study findings, concluded that the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75% when people start using tanning beds before they are 30 years old. The findings of this research were published in the most recent edition of the journal Lancet Oncology.

According to this U.S.A. Today article, Tanning beds now listed among top cancer risks, the sunbed industry disputes this, claiming that there’s never been a link between the two.

Ok, maybe the declaration that tanning beds are on par with mustard gas and arsenic may be pushing it, but it’s not hard to see why the doctors and researchers are concerned. As more young people use these tanning beds, more are being diagnosed years later with a deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma.

We know that too much sun causes skin cancer. We know that it’s the rays that cause it. Therefore, if the rays are used in tanning beds and booths, why do people expose themselves to it and take that risk?

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Photo: Newscom.com

Post from: Blisstree

Tanning Beds Deemed High Cancer Risk

A couple of months ago, the popular television show House had a bad (in my opinion) plot line that showed a man with “locked in syndrome” diagnosed as brain dead and the emergency room physician wanted to take his heart for donation – something that would never happen in the United States.

Now, there are complaints about the season finale of another popular medical show, Grey’s Anatomy. I have to admit, I haven’t watched this show since its first year. I liked it the first year but then it got too ridiculous for my tastes, but it is still very popular.

In the season finale, one of the main characters had to make a drastic choice for treatment of melanoma that had spread to her brain. The problem is, one of the options wasn’t really an option. Rather than going into it all again, this article, Doctors, patients say ‘Grey’s’ cancer story isn’t accurate , talks about it and explains the issues well.

What do you think? Should medical shows be held to a standard that they shouldn’t play with medical facts? Do they have a strong enough hold on viewers that what they show may help people make decisions about their care, right or wrong?

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Image: Images: PR Photos

Post from: Blisstree

Another medical show, more false info

Earlier this week, a spot in his right cheek was removed as part of a routine check-up. Following biopsy results have showed that McCain is cancer-free.

Presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain, who has a history of dangerous melanomas, had a spot of skin removed from his face today, his campaign said.

The patch of skin was removed from McCain’s right cheek during a routine checkup in Arizona, the candidate said. In 2000, an invasive melanoma was removed from the senator’s left temple.

McCain denied there were any serious problems when he discussed the procedure at a campaign stop in Bakersfield.

Read more from the LA Times.

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Melanoma Survivor John McCain, Remains Skin Cancer-Free

Researchers analyzed 51,704 melanoma cases in the United States and found that patients with scalp or neck melanomas died at 1.84 times the rate of patients with melanoma elsewhere on the body, including the face or ears.

The five-year survival rate for patients with scalp-neck melanomas was 83 percent, compared with 92 percent for patients with melanomas at other sites. The 10-year survival rate was 76 percent for scalp-neck melanomas and 89 percent for other melanomas.

The findings confirm that melanoma patient survival rates differ depending on where the cancer first appeared, the researchers said.

Because the melanoma is near the head/brain when it’s on the scalp and neck. That alone makes it more deadly, don’t you think?!

Th findings suggests that doctors should pay more attention to the scalp when examining for melanoma.

The Washington Post has the full report.

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Scalp and Neck Melanomas, More Deadly

When injected with aggressive melanoma cells, normal mice developed large melanoma tumors whereas ACE 10/10 mice developed only very small tumors.

The resistance of ACE 10/10 mice to melanoma growth was confirmed using several different melanoma cell lines and by using different strains of mice expressing high levels of ACE in macrophages.

Interestingly, the small tumors of ACE 10/10 mice contained significantly higher numbers of white blood cells, suggesting a large anti-tumor immune response.

Related report on such findings appears in the June issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Also, ACE has been found to play roles in fertility, immune cell development, and atherosclerosis, with a few studies suggesting a role in the generation of an effective immune response.

Find more details from the full report.

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Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Can Protect From Tumor Growth

As long as it is diagnosed and treated early, it can still be controlled easily as long as the cancer cells have not grown downward to the skin surface yet for it to invade healthy tissues.

However, even if melanoma has already been taken out, there is a chance that it will recur sometime in the patient’s life.

According to John Kirkwood, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Melanoma Center at UPCI:

“Melanoma patients who initially respond well to treatment with interferon are at high risk of their cancer recurring.”

In a new study recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, higher levels of a protein called S-100 in patients with melanoma may correlate with a higher risk of the disease’s recurrence.

This finding was found out by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) led by Dr. Kirkwood that evaluated and tested serum samples from 103 patients who were treated with high-dose interferon (a standard immunotherapy treatment for melanoma) an average of eight years prior.

The researchers hope the further study on S-100 will also reveal clues on surviving melanoma.

Find more details from the full report.

[in photo: superficial spreading melanoma, credit: answers.com]

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S-100: The Protein Linked to Recurrence of Melanoma

The said Phase 2b study was a randomized, controlled trial in patients with Stage IV metastatic melanoma where STA-4783 plus paclitaxel doubled progression-free survival (PFS), as compared to paclitaxel alone.

Steven O’Day, MD, Chief of Research and Director of Melanoma at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles and Principal Investigator for the study, stated:

“These positive Phase 2b results in metastatic melanoma, a devastating cancer with an extremely poor prognosis and limited treatment options, are very encouraging. Metastatic melanoma has proven resistant to many therapeutic approaches and pharmaceutical agents.

To my knowledge, this study is the first in metastatic melanoma to demonstrate increased progression-free survival by a small molecule in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.”

The Phase 2b study of STA-4783 was conducted at 21 U.S. clinical sites where STA-4783 was well-tolerated, with adverse events typical of those expected for paclitaxel alone.

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes (the pigment producing cells of the skin) while STA-4783 is an investigational first-in-class heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) inducer that activates natural killer (NK) cell-mediated tumor killing.

If diagnosed and surgically removed while localized in the outermost skin layer, melanoma is potentially curable; however, for patients with deeper lesions or metastatic disease, the prognosis is poor, with limited available treatments and an expected survival of only six to nine months.

The incidence of melanoma has increased more rapidly than any other cancer during the past ten years. The last novel, small-molecule drug to treat patients with this disease was approved by the FDA over 30 years ago.

STA-4783 acts synergistically with taxanes (a commonly used chemotherapeutic class) and in preclinical studies has shown (combined with taxanes) activity against a range of cancers, including breast, lung, colon, lymphoma, and melanoma.

Find more details from the Synta Pharma press release.

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Synta Pharmaceuticals’ STA-4783 Passed Phase 2 Trial in Metastatic Melanoma