Melanoma is a form of cancer that begins in the Melanocytes, the portion of the skin responsible for producing Melanin and controlling skin color. While Melanoma is the most rare form of Skin Cancer, accounting for less than 2 percent of all cases diagnosed per year, it is also the most deadly. Although it can almost always be cured if caught in its earlier stages, the aggressive nature of the disease ensures that this window of corrective opportunity remains very small.
The issue of Melanoma is a pressing one, especially when once considers that diagnosal rates of this terrible disease have been steadily increasing in the United States for over 30 years. In fact, there are currently over 960,000 people living with Melanoma Skin Cancer in the United States right now. Additionally worth noting is that while Melanoma can occur in both younger and older people, the risk of contracting this disease increase with age.
One major difficulty with achieving an early treatement of Melanoma is the degree to which it can remain dormant for long periods of time. One way that this can happen is in the form of a skin mole. While the vast majority of moles will never turn into anything harmful, some still do, and it is this casual gap that researches are trying to close in the hopes that it will save lives through the early discovery of this disease.
Basal Cell Cardinoma is a form of Skin Cancer in which an uncontrolled growth develops in the skin's basal cells. It is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Thankfully, Basal Cell Cardinomas are nearly always a relatively unaggressive form of Skin Cancer and typically do not spread beyond the original tumor site. However, Basal Cell Cardinoma Skin Cancer that is left untreated can result in severe disfigurement.
Despite a steady increase in occurance in the United States over the past decade and a half, less than 1 percent of Basal Cell Cardinoma Skin Cancers prove to be fatal. The slow-moving nature of the cancer often affords doctors the opportunity to apply a wide variety of treatment techniques, which usually result in the elimination of the disease before it can inflict serious damage on the patient.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma is a form of Skin Cancer in which abnormal cells begin arising in the skin's upper layers. They are the second most common form of Skin Cancer, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all non-Melanoma Skin Cancers.
They are relatively easy to detect due to the scaly red patches and open sores that the disease often creates. This, in combination with the slow-moving nature of the cancer, means that less than 1 percent of all those afflicted will eventually die as a result of their disease. However, some progress still must be made in terms of preventing the diseaes in the first place, as the occurance of Squamous Cell Carinoma has gone up a whopping 200 percent in the past three decades in the United States.
The aggressive nature of Melanoma Skin Cancer means that the likelihood of it responding positively to chemotherapy treatements is often quite low. While it can sometimes shrink tumors by as much as 15 percent, this is usually not enough to improve the survival rate of the patient as a whole. Thankfully, the emergence of new drugs such as Vemurafenib and Ipilimumab have the potential to transform Skin Cancer treatements as we know them, giving hope to patients that have otherwise exhausted all other options.
There exists within about 50 percent of Melanomas a gene called BRAF that assists in cell growth. A Phase III clinical trial analyzed the impact of Vemurafenib targeting the BRAF gene and the resulting effect that this had on overall survival rates. What they found was extraordinary, with a 63 percent increase in overall survival rates in patients whose cancer was otheriwse untreated and considered inoperable.
A seperate Phase III clinical trial combined Ipilimumab with traditional chemotherapy treatements to isolate the effect that the drug had on the survival rates of Skin Cancer patients. The results were extremely encouraging, with a whopping 8.6 percent increase in three-year survival rates when compared to those that did not recieve Ipilimumab. The impact of this study becomes even more significant when one considers that the trial included over 500 patients with Melanoma that could not be surgically removed, thus presenting them with life-saving options that did not exist in years past.
It has been discovered that nearly all cases of Skin Cancer can be prevented long before they become life threatening. This is due to the visible nature of the disease, as it often makes itself present in the form of visible sores and harsh rashes. It is for this reason that there has been a recent movement to promote public education regarding these terrible cancers, as increased awareness will undoubtably save lives as people learn to check themselves for signs of Skin Cancer and take steps to prevent themselves from ever contracting it in the first place.
Physicians have recently developed a simple system that will hopefully aid in the early detection of Melanoma, the deadliest form of Skin Cancer. Called the ABCDE system, it involves the self-examination of moles for visible features that are consistent with what one would find in a case of Melanoma. This allows people to sort the normal from the irregular, and will hopefully assist in the protection of people against the threat of developing Skin Cancers.
Additionally, the increased understanding of the causes of Skin Cancer has afforded people the opportunity to take steps to prevent themselves from contracting Skin Cancer in the first place. For instance, the discovery of the role of UV rays in the development of Skin Cancer has prompted a movement to educate people on the harms of these rays, and the reasonable steps that they can take to avoid them.
Founded over 35 years ago, The Skin Cancer Foundation is currently the only international organization whose sole focus is improving the prevention and treatment of Skin Cancer. They are responsible for the distribution of millions of medically-reviewed pamphlets, posters, books, and newsletters annually, all of which contribute greatly to the goal of educating the public about the dangers of Skin Cancer.
The Skin Cancer Foundation has also been responsible for donating over 1.5 million dollars to over 150 boundary-pushing research projects. And as 90 percent of all funds are directed to the services that they provide, those who donate can rest assured that their money will be used to its full potential to fight Skin Cancers.
The importance of this life-saving foundation cannot be overstated. Every dollar directed towards The Skin Cancer Foundation advances the fight against Skin Cancer, and serves to provide hope to the thousands that struggle with this terrible disease every day. You can join them in their fight by clicking on the button below to donate.
The American Skin Association has spent the past two decades fighting against Skin Cancers through the application of research grants and public outreach programs. They seek to make sure that everyone, regardless of race, age, or social status, has the opportunity to recieve education regarding the dangers of skin diseases and what can be done to prevent them.
Their active approach in combating these deadly diseases has led them to donate over 7.9 million dollars in advanced dermatological reasearch, something that they argue is "the key to earlier diagnosis, less invasive therapies and, in time, prevention and cure." This money has supported the work of 150 investigators, something which ensures that a broad range of research in regards to Skin Cancer is achieved.
They also boast an impressive degree of financial transparency, with audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 filings dated back as far as 2006 publically avaliable. Additionally, they provide a detailed expenses breakdown which enables all those who donate to scrutinize where their money is actually going. You can help them further their mission to defeat Skin Cancers by clicking the button to donate below.
With recent advancements in online communications, it is now possible to join the fight against Skin Cancers without spending a single penny. This is the power of word of mouth, the power of sharing our thoughts and ideas to make a change. You can click on the buttons below to get started. Spread the word!