vival rates, as well as patients' quality of life. These include: New chemotherapy regimens (altered dosage, timing, and sequencing of drugs) Monoclonal antibodies (engineered antibodies that target specific cancer proteins) Photodynamic therapy (combination treatment with chemicals and light) Anti-angiogenesis agents (drugs that inhibit blood vessels that feed tumors) Lung cancer vaccines (treatment to stimulate effective immune response)" Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. If diagnosed and removed while it is still small and limited to the outermost skin layer, it is almost 100% curable. Once it advances and spreads to other parts of the body, it is hard to treat and can become deadly. During the past 10 years the amount of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than that of any other cancer. Nearly 42,000 new cases are reported each year, and it is probable that a great many more occur and are not reported. Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin that colors our skin, hair, and eyes and is heavily concentrated in most moles. The majority of melanomas, are black or brown. But melanomas occasionally stop producing pigment. When that happens, the melanomas may no longer be dark, but are skin-colored, pink, red, or purple.Melanomas fall into four basic categories. Three of them begin in situ and sometimes become invasive. The fourth however is invasive from the start. It is helpful to recognize the names and be able to define the characteristics of each type. Superficial spreading melanoma is by far the most common type accounting for about 70 percent of all cases. As you might expect, this melanoma travels along the top layer of the skin for a fairly long time before penetrating into the skin. The first sign is the appearance of a flat or slightly raised discolored patch that has irregular borders and is somewhat geometrical in form. The color varies, ...
