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BACKGROUND
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BACK
PROCEED 
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MELANOMA - short for
“MELANOCYTOBLASTOMA” – is a malignant tumor
originating from MELANOCYTES - cells
that constitute the human body’s MELANOCYTIC SYSTEM. Widely recognized
as a type of skin cancer, melanoma, in fact, is not derived from
skin cells, and instead truly represents a neuroectodermal neoplasm (a
tumor from embryonic tissues that form the brain, the spinal chord, and
nerves). Melanoma
may affect MELANOCYTES throughout the body, wherever they are
located (e.g. skin, brain, mucous membranes, etc.). Melanomas most
frequently – but not exclusively - arise in the skin, simply because at
this site the total amount of MELANOCYTES is the highest in number.
Accounting for about 40,000 - 50,000 new cases in the U.S. per year, and
killing about 10,000 patients out of them, malignant melanoma is one of
the most dangerous cancer challenges of nowaday's time. Similarly
alarming incidence figures have been reported in many other countries,
especially in Northern Europe and Australia/New Zealand. With a
three-decades incidence increase of more than 100%, and an increase in
mortality by more than 30%, melanoma is one of the most lethal cancers
in mankind. Currently, one out of 70 U.S. citizens will be afflicted by
melanoma sooner or later.
Despite the fact that melanoma has the fastest
incidence increase among all cancers over recent years, it is yet highly
preventable and can be diagnosed early enough to prevent its fatal
course. Possible causes for melanoma - as is known to date - are
pre-formed and/or acquired GENETIC ALTERATIONS within the MELANOCYTIC
SYSTEM, with inadequate UV RADIATION EXPOSURE (intermittent high-dose
exposure, repeated sunburns) adversely impacting on the regulatory
control mechanisms of MELANOCYTE DIFFERENTIATION.
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