COHASSET, HINGHAM, PLYMOUTH AND WEYMOUTH, MA…

The Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation of Hingham and South Shore Skin Center, one of the most progressive dermatology practices serving thousands of patients at their Cohasset and Plymouth offices, teamed up at the Special Olympics held last week at Weymouth High School to educate children and their families about skin cancer prevention and sun safety .

Armed with one gallon of Blue Lizard sunscreen, Don’t Fry Day handouts and knowledge to share, Mimi Svenning, Assistant Director of the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation and  Lori Skinner, RN of South Shore Skin Center who is a board member of Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, educated attendees on proper sunscreen application and ways to protect themselves in the sun.

This sun safety and skin cancer prevention event at the Special Olympics was part of the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation’s Don’t Fry Day line-up of events.  Don’t Fry Day (celebrated across the U.S. on May 28th ) is an initiative sponsored by the National Council of Skin Cancer Prevention (NCSCP) meant to raise awareness of sun safety.  (more…)

A vaccine which was originally developed to combat the herpes virus attacks cancerous tumors causing skin cancer, a therapy helping patients to fully cure from melanoma, according to some American researchers, even at an advanced stage.

What has really surprised and encouraged us was to see that this vaccine Onco VEX did not addressed only to cells that were injected, but worked on cells in other parts of the body that we could not reach, said Dr. Howard Kaufman from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. In other words, the vaccine triggered an immune response that spreads throughout the body thanks to the bloodstream. Mr. Kaufman is now well prepared to launch a Phase III clinical trials, which will involved 430 patients across the United States. During Phase II, fifty patients with melanoma at the stage of metastasis have been vaccinated. Eight of them have fully recovered and four partially responded positively to the treatment. (more…)

The exact cause of skin cancer is not known, however, studies have shown that over exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun is a contributing factor. Approximately one million people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. There are three basic types of skin cancer. They are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Of all the types of skin cancers to treat, basal cell carcinoma is the one that is most often seen. Besides being seen most often, basal cell carcinoma is also the easiest to diagnose and treat. A basal cell carcinoma can pop up just about anywhere on your skin, however, they are most commonly found on areas that receive a lot of sun. (more…)

The method of discovering skin cancer, the most widespread kind of cancer in the US, may be practiced by a once a month personal evaluation coupled along with an annual trip to your physician. Fast detection is important due to the fact, if identified quickly enough, skin cancer is nearly always curable.

At this time there are 3 primary kinds, most of which are generally noticeable if an individual knows exactly what to look for. Melanoma, one of the major types of skin cancer, is actually the most serious. This type of skin cancer is by far the most difficult to get rid of once it has propagated through the body, that is the reason why fast detection and therapy are essential. Skin cancer, of any type, may normally be addressed with success in it’s earlier phases.

Almost everybody has got freckles, birthmarks and moles. These types of skin conditions are observed within the majority of us and you are used to looking at them, yet you might not really see minor changes right now and that’s exactly what one will need to be watching for. Any kind of transformation in a mole’s form, edges, dimensions or even colour ought to get examined by a doctor. If a mole gets greater as compared to that of a pencil eraser or perhaps if it’s colour is several tones of brownish instead of a solid colour, these tend to be possible warning signs of skin cancer. A mole’s edge ought to be nicely outlined and, if that’s not the scenario, inform your physician. Furthermore, any kind of sore which won’t mend or even a mole that develops much larger at a quick speed ought to get examined right away. (more…)

Noninvasive infrared cancer therapies combine the unique physical and optical properties of nanoshell or nanoparticles with a near infrared laser source to thermally destroy cancer tissue without significant damage to surrounding healthy tissue.  So far, several laboratory studies prove very promising results of 100% complete eradication of tumors without any known side effects, preliminary FDA reports.

The incidence rates of cancer of the liver, pancreas, kidney, esophagus, and thyroid have continued to rise, as have the rates of new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, and childhood cancers. The incidence rates of cancer of the brain and bladder and melanoma of the skin in women, and testicular cancer in men, are rising, reports National Cancer Institute 2010.

The potential benefits of nanoparticle cancer treatment are highly selective and rapid tumor destruction with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that it is effective and causes no detectable systemic toxicity. Additionally, this therapeutic device may be used in combination with and could increase the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy and radiation. Alternative Fighting Cancer with Magnetic Nanoparticles VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUh1gHG2jns&feature=related (more…)

If you are worried about getting cancer of the skin then it is important that you know the signs and symptoms of it. Be aware of the warning signs and signals. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you want to be able to detect the changes, even the smallest, on your skin and body. If you noticed a change in consistency of your breast tissue or a lump, it could be a warning signal of cancer.

Unfortunately, there are no one telltale sign of skin cancer but instead a package of skin changes that have to be kept an eye on and to be checked constantly that your skin are clear and free from them.

You have to be even extra vigilant if you are the outdoor type or loves to suntan as you have a higher risks of getting skin cancer. However, it may not be immediate, turning up later as you get older. Did you know that the skin breaks down after a sunburn and this will lead to an increased risk to infection. (more…)

Melanoma skin cancer does not just form where you get the most sun. Many people think that they only need to check the areas of their skin that are regularly exposed to the sun.

While this is good practice, don’t ignore the rest of your body. My brother found his melanoma growth on his upper thigh, and he has never worn shorts in his life. He always kept check on his arms, legs, face etc, but when a cut that wouldn’t heal showed up on his inner thigh, he didn’t think it could possibly be melanoma skin cancer, because he had never got any sun there.

So, when you are giving your body the “once over” check… don’t ignore the skin that is always covered, and check places like your underarms, thighs, etc, and get someone to check the backs of your legs and your back and neck, and scalp. (more…)

Is a mole, lesion or skin discoloration that’s causing you some concern? You may have wondered or started worrying about possibly having malignant melanoma. You may be wondering what does melanoma look like and what are the stages, signs and symptoms? Melanomas usually have uneven borders and do not have the same shape all around. They can start out as a mole and turn into a melanoma, which is a malignant, meaning a cancerous lesion.

One of the big reasons to catch melanoma early is that it is not confined to the area on your skin where it’s found and can spread fast. Many skin cancers are local only; they are not systemic, meaning they may not involve other parts of your body. But melanoma is different. It involves your whole body and your immune system so you want to catch it early.

Most moles don’t change. If yours has changed or is changing, then make sure to look at the following. (more…)

We are constantly being told to avoid the sun as much as possible. We are told to cover up and nearly every skin product that we buy seems to contain sunscreen. However, now there is some evidence that a small amount of sun exposure may actually be healthy.

There are two most frequent reasons that we are told to avoid exposure to the sun are skin cancer and aging. This article is going to discuss some new studies on melanoma, how the situation may not be so straightforward, and some evidence that a small sensible amount of exposure to sunlight may have health benefits.

There are a number of types of skin cancer, with melanoma being the one that scares us. Other precancerous and cancerous lesions such as actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are much more common. These other types of skin cancer, particularly if they are detected early, are in most cases very treatable. (more…)

Those who participate in a melanoma clinical trial, or any other type of clinical trial, play a large role in the development of new treatments, procedures and medications. While test tube (in vitro) and animal studies may give some indication of the effectiveness and safety of treatments, volunteers are necessary to see whether the treatment will also work in humans.

There are both pros and cons associated with participation in a clinical trial. Pros include access to new or innovative treatments, the potential to be one of the first beneficiaries of a treatment, the opportunity to play a role in what may help thousands of other patients and medical attention from some of the best doctors and scientists in the world. Cons include the possibility of the participant’s condition worsening because the new treatment isn’t as effective or because they were chosen for the control group, exposure to unknown side effects or risks, undergoing an increased number of tests or giving up time or money to participate. (more…)