Skin cancer is a disease in which cancer cells grow in the tissues of the skin. There are two major groups: nonmelanoma and melanoma. Nonmelanoma skin cancers are by far the most common types of cancer, with more than 1 million new cases diagnosed annually, and most are highly curable. Melanoma is much less common, but more serious. Melanoma is highly curable in its early stages, but may spread to other parts of the body.
At Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, we have skin cancer experts who have dedicated their lives to providing the best skin cancer research and treatment. With research and treatment areas under one roof, we are better able to apply research advances to patient care. Recent research advancements include:
- A laboratory study led by Anne VanBuskirk, PhD, OSUCCC Immunology Program, to find immunological approaches to help organ transplant patients fight skin cancer, a disease to which they are highly susceptible.
- Clinical trials directed by William Carson, MD, a surgical oncologist at The James and leader of the OSUCCC Immunology Program, and Michael Walker, MD, a surgical oncologist specializing in melanoma at The James, based on immunology and the promise of a “vaccine” to help slow or stop the growth of malignant melanoma.
- A study examining the use of a newly developed, molecularly targeted drug designed to inhibit key cancer growth factors. Interim results suggest the drug may be helpful in controlling malignant melanoma, which typically responds poorly to traditional treatments with chemotherapy or radiation.
- Studies found that a popular treatment for skin cancer, the topical chemotherapeutic agent 5-flurouracil (5-FU), could be made much more effective by adding celecoxib, a popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for pain. Read more...
This section of the Jamesline.com Web site will give you access to:
If you have questions about skin cancer, please call The James Line – a free cancer information resource and physician referral service – at (614) 293-5066 or 1-800-293-5066 (outside Franklin County) or e-mail now. The James Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and James Line oncology nurses can be reached Monday-Friday 8a.m.-4:30 p.m. ViewThe James' melanoma cancer fact sheet.
Additional information is available in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Melanoma Treatment Guidelines for Patients.
