Public Health: melanoma triggered by mutant gene, say researchers

Although the BRAF gene has previously been identified as relevant to melanoma - but until now it was not know whether the damage to it was the cause or an effect of the disease.

Lead author Richard Marias released the report saying "Our study shows that the genetic damage of BRAF is the first step in skin cancer development." Identifying that the damage comes before the cancer, rather than after it, means the chance of identifying risk cases before they become cancerous are increased - and also the treatment in its early stages.

Melanoma is in fact a small percentage of skin cancers - but it is the one that is responsible for the most skin cancer deaths. Patches of discoloured skin that grow and change shape and colour are the main signs of the disease.

However, not all patches that meet those criteria are in fact cancerous: in other conditions, patches that have all the appearance of melanoma are benign - but this cannot be confirmed until after a biopsy. Some are due to non-cancerous changes in the fat layer immediately below the skin.

Melanoma is caused by over-exposure to ultra violet light. Air crew are warned that they are susceptible to the disease after many years of flying.

But those who willingly expose themselves to the sun suffer more - around 70% of cases, the ICR says - it's the damaged DNA in sunburned skin cells that causes the harm.

Which brings into focus the question of tanning machines which deliver high-doses of UV light in close proximity to the skin.

Women in their twenties are, for the first time, the largest group suffering from skin cancer - in the UK, some 300 cases each year involve women in that age group. It is now a bigger problem than breast or cervical cancer. And for women in their thirties, it is catching up fast with those other two known killers.

ICR says that sunbeds deliver as much as 10 times the dose of UV of strong natural sunlight.