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We appreciate the thought above from Melanoma UK, on a disease that knows no national boundaries. Fair skinned populations may be more liable but melanoma can inflict itself on anyone, a good reason to share knowledge.
The August 2021 issue of the journal Melanoma Research will carry studies from every continent. The Melanoma Research Alliance takes a similar stance, as do other institutions, bringing together international leaders in the study of melanoma.
Information which would be considered sensitive and valuable in a commercial setting is freely shared, seeking to achieve progress through collaboration.
Melanoma cases in the UK are approaching 20,000 per annum, relatively high per head of population but simply part of a global disease affecting a third of a million people each year. To counter this, we need to work together.
Improving Knowledge
From web analysis, the most frequently cited articles related to melanoma in 2021 cover immunotherapy, targeted therapy, genomics and other molecular fields. Areas which will help in the future, not least for advanced cases.
Specific projects are under way, to identify more biomarkers of active metastasis, or to define how tumour cells can become dormant and then awaken. Treatments are being tested which could deal with actively dividing and silent melanoma cells.
Effective new treatments will be valuable, although research continues on prevention and early detection. The links between sun exposure as a child and adult melanoma are becoming better defined, as are the results of chronic sun exposure at any age.
Above all, research confirms the benefit of adding to public knowledge on sun exposure risks and the need for early detection of melanoma
Increasing Awareness
Forecasts suggest that global melanoma cases will reach half a million before 2045, the goal must be to overcome that prediction. This can be achieved if we all make the effort to share core messages:
Avoid over exposure to the sun – This is a serious health risk, a primary cause of skin cancers, including the most deadly, melanoma.
Reduce intentional tanning – For health and looks, many people believe heavy tans are attractive but focus groups prove otherwise.
Adopt Personal Protection – Time in the sun can be a pleasure but feels more so, with the use of sunscreen and protective clothing.
Try skin self-examinations – Just 10 minutes a month, using easy techniques for skin examination, can be a life saving activity.
Find a trusted dermatologist – Who can provide a more detailed annual skin check, see anything you miss and offer peace of mind.
This may seem like a long list but we need to do the same for other areas of life. Driving a car would bring in far more rules, yet almost twice as many people will die in the UK next year from melanoma than from road traffic accidents.
Our clinic is pleased to offer exceptional melanoma treatment but we would rather you didn’t need this. Share the messages above with your friends and family, a great way to avoid an unwanted disease and save lives.