A new analysis of four large European trials of cutaneous melanoma patients showed a substantial survival advantage for women, most likely explained by underlying biologic differences. (Source: Cancer Network)

We report a primary cutaneous BCC on the upper chest in which vascular invasion was demonstrated by histopathology and the unique application of dual immunohistochemistry. PMID: 22559028 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Dermatol Online J)

We report a case of a patient with metastatic melanoma treated with vemurafenib, who developed diffuse follicular hyperkeratosis resembling keratosis pilaris. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a keratosis pilaris-like side effect of vemurafenib. PMID: 22559022 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Dermatol Online J)

The addition of sorafenib to isolated limb infusion therapy with melphalan did not improve responses in a new phase I trial of patients with in-transit extremity melanoma. (Source: Cancer Network)

Melanoma has become the poster cancer for genomic research. The identification of a driver mutation in the BRAF gene found in approximately 40% of metastatic melanoma patients and the subsequent approval last year of the targeted BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib, has resulted in a surge of both clinical and laboratory research. (Source: Cancer Network)

Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that epidermal thinning in consumption represents an early phase of ulceration. No statistically significant difference in consumption was found between nail melanomas and melanomas of acral skin other than the nail, probably because of similar tumor thickness in both groups.Ohata C, Nakai C, Kasugai T, Katayama I. Consumption of the epidermis in acral lentiginous melanoma. (Source: Journal of Cutaneous Pathology)

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(Source: Journal of Cutaneous Pathology)

Aberrations of protein-coding genes are a focus of cancer genomics; however, the impact of oncogenes on expression of the ~50% of transcripts without protein-coding potential, including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), has been largely uncharacterized. Activating mutations in the BRAF oncogene are present in >70% of melanomas, 90% of which produce active mutant BRAFV600E protein. To define the impacts of oncogenic BRAF on the melanocyte transcriptome, massively parallel cDNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on genetically matched normal human melanocytes with and without BRAFV600E expression. To enhance potential disease relevance by verifying expression of altered genes in BRAF-driven cancer tissue, parallel RNA-seq was also undertaken of two BRAFV600E-mutant human melanomas. BRAFV600E...

Scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Pooled data confirm the female advantage when it comes to cutaneous melanoma outcome. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape ObGyn and Womens Health Headlines)

Title: Scientists Map Melanoma's GenomeCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/9/2012 4:06:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/10/2012 12:00:00 AM (Source: MedicineNet Cancer General)

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(University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) At the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)

Conclusions:  In this work, we for the first time evaluated the expression of 14F7 MAb immunorecognition in oral mucosal melanomas. Our results were in agreement with the assumption that NeuGcGM3 ganglioside may be considered as target for passive and active immunotherapy in oral mucosal melanomas expressing this molecule and indicate less risk of recurrence and a better prognosis. Moreover, ME provides a platform for more studies on the specific function of NeuGcGM3 in oral mucosal melanomas. (Source: Oral Diseases)

(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, estimated by the National Cancer Institute to afflict more than 70,000 people in the United States annually and the incidence rate continues to rise. In a study published online in Genome Research, researchers have identified a previously unknown non-coding RNA that plays an important role in the biology of melanoma, a finding that could lead to a new target for therapy. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)

Findings include genetic link to breast cancer, researchers say (Source: Cancercompass News: Breast Cancer)

Curious about your skin cancer risk? Ask about it on the medical Q&A section of Avvo's website, and the Seattle company will donate $5 to the Melanoma Research Foundation. Contributions will be made for any skin cancer question asked during the month of May as part of melanoma and national skin cancer detection and prevention month. In a press release, the Melanoma Research Foundation said melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States, with nearly 76,000 Americans expected... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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Melanoma -- the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer -- has long been linked to time spent in the sun. Now scientists have sequenced the whole genomes of 25 metastatic melanoma tumors, confirming the role of chronic sun exposure and revealing new genetic changes important in tumor formation. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Melanoma — the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer — has long been linked to time spent in the sun. Now a team led by scientists from the Broad Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has sequenced the whole genomes of 25 metastatic melanoma tumors, confirming the role of chronic sun exposure and revealing new genetic changes important in tumor formation. In an article published online May 9 in Nature, the authors provide the first high-resolution view of the genomic landscape of human melanoma tumors. The work was supported in part by the National Human Genome Research Institute. (Source: NHGRI-Related News)

Conclusions:  Our study supports that DOG‐1 is a highly sensitive and specific marker for GISTs and also highlights hitherto unrecognized and unusual patterns of expression in non‐mesenchymal neoplasms. (Source: Histopathology)

Authors: Michael F. Berger, Eran Hodis, Timothy P. Heffernan, Yonathan Lissanu Deribe, Michael S. Lawrence, Alexei Protopopov, Elena Ivanova, Ian R. Watson, Elizabeth Nickerson, Papia Ghosh, Hailei Zhang, Rhamy Zeid, Xiaojia Ren, Kristian Cibulskis, Andrey Y. Sivachenko, Nikhil Wagle, Antje Sucker, Carrie Sougnez, Robert Onofrio, Lauren Ambrogio, Daniel Auclair, Timothy Fennell, Scott L. Carter, Yotam Drier, Petar Stojanov, Meredith A. Singer, Douglas Voet, Rui Jing, Gordon Saksena, Jordi Barretina, Alex H. Ramos, Trevor J. Pugh, Nicolas Stransky, Melissa Parkin, Wendy Winckler, Scott Mahan, Kristin Ardlie, Jennifer Baldwin, Jennifer Wargo, Dirk Schadendorf, Matthew Meyerson, Stacey B. Gabriel, Todd R. Golub, Stephan N. Wagner, Eric S. Lander, Gad Getz, Lynda Chin & Levi A. Garraway Me...

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