by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and is mainly caused by intense exposure to the sun, especially those genetically prone to the disease.
According to the World Health Organisation, one in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and an estimated 132,000 instances of melanoma skin cancer are said to occur globally each year.
It is the fifth most common cancer among men and the seventh most common cancer in women.
Most melanoma patients are cured by initial surgery.
While treatment for melanoma includes surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, luckily for most melanoma patients they are cured by initial surgery.
With ongoing research on the type of treatment that is effective for melanoma patients, skin researchers in Brisbane have developed a personalised radiation treatment.
The treatment was tested out at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital on melanoma patients.
The test has shown positive and great improvement from those tested patients.
According to lead researcher and Radiation Oncologist Professor Bryan Burmeister, each melanoma patient reacted differently to the treatment once tested.
He said while pharmaceutical companies have looked at the effects of the drug therapy on melanoma patients, this research using radiation is the world’s first after seeing positive feedbacks from the tested patients.
The tested personalised radiation treatment is still in its testing phase and is said to be extremely important for treating those who have melanoma.
