Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Research highlights
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. With this collection of research in the field, the Nature Communications cancer team aim to increase knowledge of the disease and provide updates in melanoma/skin cancer prevention and detection.
Skin cancer is the most common malignant disease in Caucasians.
The disease includes a diverse group of benign and malignant growth from different cell types, both cutaneous and extracutaneous, and that have different clinical outcomes. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. The majority of skin cancer deaths result from melanoma. The most important etiological factors include UV light, ionizing radiation, and certain chemical carcinogens. Surgical removal is the primary means of treatment for most skin cancers. Other current treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies.
