The Role of Precision Medicine in the Management of Melanoma
Source: Dermatology Times, November 2022
Precision medicine may help improve the diagnosis and management of this aggressive skin cancer.
A study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found precision medicine to be fundamental in the treatment of patients with melanoma who do not respond to traditional therapies and experience severe adverse events.
Melanoma, representing only about 1% of all skin cancers, is rare but among the most aggressive and heterogeneous skin tumors.2 It has the highest mortality rate, with only 15% of metastatic patients surviving 3 years after diagnosis.3 Early detection may help reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with the condition. Although melanoma mainly develops in melanocytes, in rare cases, it may also originate in melanin-producing cells found on various mucosal surfaces, including the gastrointestinal tract and leptomeninges.