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Skin SPOREs

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The three major types of skin cancer are the highly curable basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinomas and the more serious malignant melanoma. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved in the development of skin cancer. Individuals at high risk for melanoma have also been identified, some of whom have been found to carry mutations in several cancer related genes. Over sixty-eight thousand individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with "malignant" skin cancer in 2005 (excludes basal and squamous cell carcinoma) and 10,710 individuals will die of this disease. Several recent discoveries within the melanoma field, including the identification of B-RAF mutations in many melanomas, molecular profiles associated with therapeutic response, and potential tumor stem cell markers, makes this an especially exciting time for translational research activities within this cancer site. The Skin Cancer SPORE program was initiated in 2001 with the funding of two SPOREs and this has recently increased to three. These three programs are focused predominantly on melanoma research activities, but also include projects focused on the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). The translational activities for melanoma include the development of novel therapeutics, characterization of risk and prognostic biomarkers, as well as the use of novel animal and cell culture models to test therapeutic or preventative agents.