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The Yale Cancer Center Melanoma Program
In Connecticut alone, over 1,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed annually. In 2009 over 65,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma in the United States. Melanoma is a type of cancer that begins in cells of the body called melanocytes that contain pigment and give color to the skin and hair. Although melanomas are most commonly found on sun-exposed skin they can develop in places such as under the nails, the eye, in the nasal passages, and the mucous membranes of the mouth.
The Yale Cancer Center Melanoma Program has been providing state-of-the-art treatment to patients for over 25 years. The Program is co-directed by Dr. Stephan Ariyan and Dr. Mario Sznol. Dr. Ariyan is a Clinical Professor of Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Otolaryngology at Yale University School of Medicine and is a nationally recognized plastic surgeon. Dr. Sznol is Professor of Medical Oncology at Yale and his expertise is in cancer immunotherapy, early drug development for cancer, and the treatment of patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.
The basic foundations of the Yale Cancer Center Melanoma Program are basic research, clinical research, and skilled multi-disciplinary care of patients. “We treat skin cancer as a multidisciplinary disease. There are a number of dermatologists that are part of our group, dermatopathologists, pathologists, radiologists, and medical oncologists are all involved in what we call tumor boards,” explained Dr. Ariyan. “ We all work together to treat the cancer because at different times in the course of the disease, surgery will be needed, treatment for advanced disease will be needed, and the dermatologists are needed to continue to follow these patients throughout their lives.”
The goal of the clinical research program, led by Dr. Sznol, is to introduce and investigate novel treatments for patients with melanoma. “Currently, several clinical trials are available at Yale Cancer Center for patients with metastatic melanoma. A large number of scientists are also conducting basic and translational research to better understand the biology of the disease with a focus on discovering targets that will lead to improved diagnosis and treatment,” Dr. Sznol said. Yale was awarded one of only four Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants focused on skin cancers by the National Cancer Institute in 2006. This grant, led by Dr. Ruth Halaban, Senior Research Scientistin the Department of Dermatology, supports multidisciplinary research that extends from the laboratory bench to patients.
As the summer months begin, it is a good time to stop and think about the benefits of protecting oneself against the damaging effects of the sun’s rays. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are the type of rays emitted from the sun that burn the skin and cause skin cancers. Using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 or above, wearing a brimmed hat that provides more coverage than a baseball cap, staying out of the sun during peak hours between 10AM and 4PM, and knowing if you are at high risk for skin cancers are all ways to help reduce your exposure to the sun, and help prevent developing a skin cancer.
Individuals who may be more susceptible to developing a melanoma are fair skinned and light eyed, have red or blonde hair, a past history of severe blistering sunburn, high sun exposure in early childhood, past use of skin tanning booths, multiple moles, and melanoma diagnosed in a first-degree relative. It is important that they protect themselves from sunburns and see a dermatologist on a regular basis.
As exposure to ultraviolet light increases through methods such as tanning booths, so do the number of melanomas being diagnosed. This is one of the reasons why the Yale Cancer Center Melanoma Program continues to work tirelessly in combination with other departments to discover new treatments and develop new clinical trials, and patients continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its members in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with melanoma.