Gene Mutation Instigates Skin Cancer, Scientists Say

New studies say tanning is addictive, sunscreen increases risk of melanoma

(NEWSER) - Tanning may be addictive, and sunscreen use may actually increase the risk of melanoma, according to a Slate round-up of new research about the effects of sun on skin. In a study aimed at testing the long-held theory that UV rays stimulate endorphins, researchers gave a group of sunbathers a drug blocking endorphin receptors The frequent tanners among them indeed presented symptoms of withdrawal. More»

Rise in beach holidays blamed for increase in melanoma

(NEWSER) - Doctors in Britain have blamed a 50% rise in the incidence of skin cancer on cheap flights to the beach, reports the Independent. Statistics from Cancer Research UK and the British travel agents' association confirm that easier access to sunny climates have made melanoma the nation's fastest-rising disease, particularly among young people. More»

Driving is likely to blame, say researchers

(NEWSER) - Before you roll your car windows and set out on a summer road cruise, consider this: People in the US are more likely to get skin cancer on their left side, perhaps because of driving, new research shows. While driving, the left arm gets more UV. In cases where skin cancer occurred on only one side, 52% of melanomas and 53% of merkel cell carcinomas were on the left, USA Today reports. More»

Both can significantly increase survival for those with metastatic melanoma

(NEWSER) - Two new drugs offer new hope to patients with metastatic melanoma, the typically lethal advanced form of skin cancer. The trial of PLX4032, or vemurafenib, was so successful that the study was halted after three months so that all patients could receive the new drug, the Los Angeles Times reports. It is the first chemotherapy to target a specific mutation that occurs in 47% of melanoma patients. The study found it helped 48% of those patients, compared to just 5.5% who were taking the drug dacarbazine, the conventional treatment. More»

Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma yield to new approaches

(NEWSER) - New treatments for cancer—breast, ovarian, and skin—raised hopes at this weekend's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The findings aren't enough for Robert Langreth of Forbes , who sees "serious questions about whether big drug companies may be rushing too fast." Judge for yourself.

• A single dose of radiation administered at the site of tumor removal deterred recurrence of breast cancer as well as the standard grueling course of radiation on the entire breast, the Chicago Tribune reports.