Gene Therapy Might Offer a Cure for Melanoma

Cancer

Skin cancer is often overlooked as a deadly and secretly devastating cancer. Everyone enjoys their fun in the sun, but some take little precaution to protect the largest organ in the body, your “skin”. Consisting of two layers, the epidermis and dermis covers about 3,000 square inches. Melanoma is highly curable in its early stages, but can be fatal when not detected before it metastasizes (Spreads to other parts of the body). I personally live in Florida and love the outdoors, I can admit to being careless at times and forgetting my 40 SPF sun block…The result is usually a nasty sun burn, 8 hours in the intense Florida sun, on a blue bird day can really do damage to the cells, damaging your skin and increasing cancer risk.

I often hear my older relatives speaking of how they used to slap on some baby oil and go lay out for hours at a time. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the knowledge like we do today about the harmful effects of overexposure to potent UV rays. Many are paying the consequences years later, being plagued with this silent killer. On the up note, scientist may have finally found a way to slow or treat late stage melanoma by utilizing “targeted gene therapy”. The new treatment targets a mutation of the protein BRAF, ultimately slowing the progression and growth of the cancer. This is a huge breakthrough considering there were no effective prior treatment options.

There have been limited tests done with the new therapy, but the test that have been completed show promise for people that have the BRAF mutation. The treatments are in the form of a pill and have very little side effects on the volunteers who have experimented with the treatment. One drawback to the treatment is that the drug tends to lose its effectiveness for some over time. One thing is for sure, it allows people more time to try and find other treatment options and spend more time with their families, often giving up to a year before expiring.

What are some precautionary measures that you can take to protect yourself from harmful UVA (Long wave) and UVB (Medium Wave) rays?

1. Try and avoid being outdoors from 11am to 3pm, this is when you expect to have the most direct sunlight.
2. Make sure you use sun block that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Sun protection should be no less that 30 SPF. Re-apply sunscreen every 2 – 3 hours.
3. Protect your skin with light long sleeve clothing and make sure you wear a hat.
4. Be sure to always drink plenty of fluids to help your skin protect itself.