A Foe With Many Faces

摘要

The old-fashioned way is best for detecting melanoma, the most serious skin cancer-by looking for and keeping track of irregular moles. 62,480 new melanoma cases in the U.S. expected in 2008; 91% five-year survival rate. Surgery can often remove early tumors, but if the melanoma has penetrated more deeply and widely into the body, doctors may also choose to take out some lymph nodes and add radiation or chemotherapy. Efforts to create a vaccine to corral cancer cells are under way.