Malignant Melanoma in the 21st Century:

Thanks for posting the link. 

I need to aquire a new vocabulary to be able to understand most of this technical stuff, but I'll eventually catch on to the abbreviations and terms used on this board and in this article.  Too bad I took Home Ec instead of molecular biology and organic chemistry

It is interesting that the article mentioned that a combination of therapies often seem to work better than singular ones.  Also that many of the drugs used in in clinical trials DO WORK, but the drugs are abandoned because the percentage of success is so low….yet the trials do help some.   What are the common factors, if any, of the people that responded, and how do they identify that?  The answer will probably be in molecular testing of individuals.

To quote from the article: "The emerging pattern of molecular complexity in melanoma tumors mirrors the clinical diversity of the disease and highlights the notion that melanoma, like other cancers, is not a single disease but a heterogeneous group of disorders that arise from complex molecular changes.

Defining an individual patient's unique tumor characteristics may lead to personalized prediction of outcomes and selection of therapy."

That, right there, is the future.  It is likely the key.

Such a bugger of a disease, but they're on the cusp of helping us.  We've gotta hang strong.

Thanks for posting the link. 

I need to aquire a new vocabulary to be able to understand most of this technical stuff, but I'll eventually catch on to the abbreviations and terms used on this board and in this article.  Too bad I took Home Ec instead of molecular biology and organic chemistry

It is interesting that the article mentioned that a combination of therapies often seem to work better than singular ones.  Also that many of the drugs used in in clinical trials DO WORK, but the drugs are abandoned because the percentage of success is so low….yet the trials do help some.   What are the common factors, if any, of the people that responded, and how do they identify that?  The answer will probably be in molecular testing of individuals.

To quote from the article: "The emerging pattern of molecular complexity in melanoma tumors mirrors the clinical diversity of the disease and highlights the notion that melanoma, like other cancers, is not a single disease but a heterogeneous group of disorders that arise from complex molecular changes.

Defining an individual patient's unique tumor characteristics may lead to personalized prediction of outcomes and selection of therapy."

That, right there, is the future.  It is likely the key.

Such a bugger of a disease, but they're on the cusp of helping us.  We've gotta hang strong.