Oncology

Disease Analysis: Melanoma

Melanoma accounts for just 1% of all skin cancer cases, but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Melanoma occurs when melanocytes – pigment-producing cells of the skin that are intercalated in the basal cell layer – become malignant. Although surgical excision is a potentially curative option for many melanoma patients, the disease can disseminate rapidly. Currently, only 27.3% of patients diagnosed with distant metastatic melanoma survive for five years, compared to about 99.0% of those with localized disease. Although 83% of patients present with localized disease, approximately one quarter to one third of these patients will eventually experience disease recurrence.