文档介绍：M E T H O D S I N M O L E C U L A R M E D I C I N E TM
MelanomaMelanoma
TTechniquesechniques
andand ProtocolsProtocols
MolecularMolecular Diagnosis,Diagnosis,
TTreatment,reatment, andand MonitoringMonitoring
Edited by
Brian J. Nickoloff, MD, PhD
Humana Press
Molecular Medicine of Melanoma 3
1
The Many Molecular Mysteries of Melanoma
Brian J. Nickoloff
1. Introduction
Melanoma of the skin is one of the most rapidly increasing malignancies in
both young and old patients (1,2). Not only is the incidence increasing, but the
number of annual deaths from melanoma is also on the rise worldwide (3). In
the United States, melanoma will be diagnosed in 43,000 new patients each
year and be responsible for 7300 deaths (1 death every 72 min). The capacity
of melanoma to develop in young patients is reflected by the rather alarming
statistic that it has e one of the top causes of death in both men and
women between the ages of 25 and 40 (3). Indeed, among Caucasian females,
melanoma is the leading cause of death from malignancy between the ages of
25 and 29 (3). It is expected that by 2002, 1 in 70 Americans will develop
melanoma during their lifetime (2). Also, melanoma is second only to adult
leukemia as the leader in the number of potential years of life lost, which is
significantly greater than for patients with cervical, breast, and colon malig-
nancies (4). Despite the frequent presence of melanoma and major associated
health problems around the globe, only recently have clinicians and labora-
tory-based researchers begun to unravel some of the molecular mysteries of
melanoma (5,6). The purpose of Melanoma: Methods and Protocols, published
as part of the Methods in Molecular Medicine™ series, is to provide an up-to-date
review of the many advances that have taken place during the past several
years involving the pathophysiology, diagnosis, ic analysis, and treatment
approaches for patients with melanoma (7).
Although the bad news is tha