Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Pathogenesis of nonmelanoma skin cancers in organ transplant recipients.

Athar M, Walsh SB, Kopelovich L, Elmets CA

Department of Dermatology and Skin Diseases Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0019, USA. mathar@uab.edu

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common human cancer, with an incidence of more than 1.2 million per year in the USA. The risk for the development of NMSCs increases by approximately 10-250 fold in chronically immune suppressed organ transplant recipients (OTRs). Solar UVB is the most common etiologic factor in the development of this neoplasm, both in immune competent and immune suppressed populations. This review provides a description of NMSC in OTRs. It also provides an account of the various immunologic and non-immune-dependent mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of NMSCs in OTRs. Finally, this review addresses possible strategies for the prevention of this cancer, particularly focusing on the aspects that may be incorporated to prevent negative effects of chemopreventive chemicals on graft survival.

Published 18 March 2011 in Arch Biochem Biophys, 508(2): 159-63.
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Articles on Skin Cancer published 18 March 2011:

Green tea prevents non-melanoma skin cancer by enhancing DNA repair.   Arch Biochem Biophys, 508(2): 152-8.

Excessive exposure of the skin to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is one of the major factors for the development of skin cancers, including non-melanoma. For the last several centuries the consumption of dietary phytochemicals has been linked to numerous health benefits including the photoprotection of the skin. Green tea has been consumed as a popular beverage world-wide and skin photoprotection by green tea polyphenols (GTPs) has been widely investigated. In this article, we have discussed ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Structural alterations of the FAS gene in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).   Arch Biochem Biophys, 508(2): 185-91.

FAS (TNF receptor superfamily member 6, also known as CD95) plays a major role in T-cell apoptosis and is often dysregulated in CTCL. We searched for structural alterations of the FAS gene with the potential to affect its function. Although several heterozygous FAS promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, the only homozygous one was the -671 GG SNP present in 24/80 CTCL cases (30%). This SNP maps to an interferon response element activated by STAT-1. EMSA and supershift ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Skin Cancer published 9 March 2011:

Association between melanoma thickness, clinical skin examination and socioeconomic status: results of a large population-based study.   Int J Cancer, 128(9): 2158-65.

Survival from melanoma is inversely related to tumour thickness and is less favorable for those in lower socioeconomic (SES) strata. Reasons for this are unclear but may relate to a lower prevalence of skin screening. Our aim was to examine the association between melanoma thickness, individual-level SES and clinical skin examination (CSE) using a population-based case-control study. Cases were Queensland (Australia) residents aged 20-75 years with a histologically confirmed first primary ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Skin Cancer published 25 February 2011:

Melanoma knowledge, perception, and awareness in ethnic minorities in Chicago: recommendations regarding education.   Psychooncology, 20(3): 313-20.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Skin Cancer published 23 February 2011:

Parascapular free flaps in skin malignancies.   Laryngoscope, 121(3): 538-40.

This study was a retrospective review of a case series of nine patients, aged 40 to 83 years, presenting to the head and neck cancer department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, with a diagnosis of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), requiring reconstruction after surgical resection. In this group of patients, parascapular fasciocutaneous free flaps proved to be a safe, reliable, and cosmetically effective choice for reconstruction of head and neck skin cancer defects. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Multiple antimelanoma potential of dry olive leaf extract.   Int J Cancer, 128(8): 1955-65.

Various constituents of the olive tree (Olea europaea) have been traditionally used in the treatment of infection, inflammation, prevention of chronic diseases, cardiovascular disorders and cancer. The anticancer potential of dry olive leaf extract (DOLE) represents the net effect of multilevel interactions between different biologically active compounds from the extract, cancer cells and conventional therapy. In this context, it was of primary interest to evaluate the influence of DOLE on ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Plasma levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma: a preliminary study.   Int J Cancer, 128(8): 1872-80.

A number of epidemiologic studies have suggested that exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and other organochlorine compounds (OCC) increase risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). However, these studies have generally had no biologic measure of OCC exposure, and have been unable to control for sun exposure, the major known environmental risk factor for this disease. This preliminary study examined the relationship between OCC residues in plasma and risk of CMM adjusting for sun ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Multiple antimelanoma potential of dry olive leaf extract.   Int J Cancer, 128(8): 1955-65.

Various constituents of the olive tree (Olea europaea) have been traditionally used in the treatment of infection, inflammation, prevention of chronic diseases, cardiovascular disorders and cancer. The anticancer potential of dry olive leaf extract (DOLE) represents the net effect of multilevel interactions between different biologically active compounds from the extract, cancer cells and conventional therapy. In this context, it was of primary interest to evaluate the influence of DOLE on ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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