Discovered a cause and possible
treatment of metastatic melanoma
Metastasis causes 90% of deaths in patients with
cancer.
Therefore, one of the
priorities in cancer research is to understand the mechanisms underlying this
process. Metastasis occurs when tumor cells are separated from the part of the
body where the cancer began to other parts of the body, invade nearby tissue
and spread to other organs. Melanoma is one of the tumors with greater ability
to metastasize. The incidence of melanoma has increased in recent decades as a
result of increased exposure to sunlight.
The study, described
in the June 1, 2015 issue of Nature Medicine, was led by Manel Esteller,
Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona (UB) and ICREA Research
Professor at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Bellvitge ( IDIBELL). In
it a mechanism that explains how tumor cells detach from the primary tumor and
travel to other tissues and organs is described, resulting in metastasis.
Furthermore, it is noted that metastatic cells' may be susceptible to new
molecular therapies.
 |
| More information |