Melanoma

Melanoma is a form of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines.

What are Melanomas?

The treatment of melanoma may involve surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or a combination of several treatment techniques. Each of these treatments is outlined below.

Melanoma History

What are the Statistics of Melanoma?

Managing Choroidal Melanomas

Melanoma Symptoms and Cause

Metastatic Melanoma

Choroidal Melanoma

Melanoma Research

Malignant Melanoma

How is Melanoma Diagnosed and Treated?

Melanoma Prognosis

Latest Melanoma News and Research

Targeting telomere damage offers new path to boost cancer immunotherapy

Tumors are stressful places for cancer-fighting immune cells. Low oxygen, high acid levels, and other stressors put strain on mitochondria, the cell's energy factories, leading to T cell exhaustion and poor cancer outcomes.

10 Sep 2025

New drug candidate STF 1623 activates innate immunity in solid tumors

Cancer immunotherapy, which primes the body's immune system to fight off tumors, has historically focused on harnessing T cells' natural ability to recognize and attack cancer cells.

5 Sep 2025

Targeting ADAR1 offers new hope against glioblastoma

The most common and aggressive type of adult brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is notoriously resistant to treatment, with a median survival of just 14 months following diagnosis.

5 Sep 2025

Plant-derived carotenoid found to boost immune response against cancer

In a new study, researchers from the University of Chicago discovered that zeaxanthin, a plant-derived carotenoid best known for protecting vision, may also act as an immune-boosting compound by strengthening the cancer-fighting activity of immune cells.

2 Sep 2025

Cancer-related nerve injury triggers inflammation and immunotherapy resistance

Cancer cells can break down the protective covers around nerves, causing nerve injury that triggers chronic inflammation leading to immune exhaustion and eventual resistance to immunotherapy, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

1 Sep 2025

Researchers identify genetic toolkit to reprogram cells into immune sentinels

An international team led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden has identified the molecular tools needed to reprogram ordinary cells into specialized immune cells.

29 Aug 2025

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D identified as a potential biomarker for skin cancer screening

Skin cancer, the most common global malignancy, is linked to ultraviolet (UV)-driven serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)synthesis, with its controversial role possibly reflecting cumulative UV exposure.

27 Aug 2025

New study uncovers a surprising mechanism of resistance to immunotherapy

A new international study led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, the Karolinska Institutet and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has uncovered a surprising mechanism of resistance to immunotherapy: cancer's ability to injure nearby nerves.

21 Aug 2025

Cancer cells break down nerve covers causing immune exhaustion and therapy resistance

20 Aug 2025

Engineered CD40 antibody shrinks tumors and induces remission

Over the past 20 years, a class of cancer drugs called CD40 agonist antibodies have shown great promise-and induced great disappointment.

14 Aug 2025

Nudibranchs (sea slugs) emerge as a promising source of cancer drugs

Researchers reviewed the antitumor potential of bioactive compounds from nudibranchs, marine mollusks that acquire or synthesize potent chemical defenses. These compounds, often sourced from their diet, show promising cancer-fighting activity through mechanisms like DNA damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

12 Aug 2025

DKK1 identified as key driver of immune resistance in bone metastases

Many major cancers, including those of the lung, breast and prostate gland, spread to the bones as they progress.

7 Aug 2025

Gfi1 regulates exhausted CD8+ T cells to improve cancer immunotherapy

Killer immune cells destroy cancer cells and cells infected by virus. These CD8+ T cells are activated after detection of viral infection or growth of "non-self" tumor cells.

5 Aug 2025

UCLA study shows stem cells can be reprogrammed to fight cancer

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, UCLA scientists have shown it's possible to reprogram a patient's blood-forming stem cells to generate a continuous supply of functional T cells, the immune system's most powerful cancer-killing agents.

4 Aug 2025

Key protein found to guide melanoma cells during spread

Researchers have discovered a protein which is critical for steering melanoma cancer cells as they spread throughout the body.

1 Aug 2025

Advanced form of AI opens door to personalized cancer care

What if a computer could read a patient's medical notes and help doctors determine important information for their treatment?

1 Aug 2025

Artificial sweetener may undermine effectiveness of cancer treatment

Sucralose is a popular sugar substitute for people who are cutting calories or managing blood sugar levels, but new research by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center suggests that the artificial sweetener may not be the best choice for patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy.

31 Jul 2025

Harnessing the power of gut bacteria to enhance cancer immunotherapy effectiveness

A comprehensive new review reveals both the promise and challenges of using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to enhance cancer immunotherapy effectiveness.

30 Jul 2025

PD-1 helps guide immune memory cells to the skin early during infection

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have discovered that PD-1—a molecule best known for putting the brakes on immune cells—also plays a critical role in helping T cells become long-term immune defenders in the skin.

30 Jul 2025

Researchers pinpoint PRMT5 as a promising target for cancer drugs

A potential target for experimental drugs that block PRMT5 - a naturally occurring enzyme some tumors rely more on for survival - has been identified by researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's Cancer Research Center in Washington, D.C.

26 Jul 2025