Skin Cancer of Scalp, Neck Deadlier

Researchers blame tanning beds

(NEWSER) - Researchers expected a rise in skin cancer among young women—but they didn't expect this: Between 1970 and 2009, melanoma became eight times more common among women 18 to 39 and four times higher among men in that age group, Time reports. "There is currently a melanoma epidemic in the US, particularly in young women and middle-aged men," notes a Mayo Clinic dermatologist and researcher involved in the study. The increase among women is likely tied to tanning salons, the experts say. More»

Supplement pills reduced risk, particularly in women

(NEWSER) - If you're worried about getting skin cancer, maybe some vitamin A supplements are in order; a new study has shown that people taking them were 60% less likely to develop melanoma. The study, which was published today in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, followed 59,000 people for six years, LiveScience reports. Of the 5,800 taking regular vitamin A supplements, only 28 got melanoma—compared to 506 among those who had never taken it. 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.