Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) have discovered the mechanism by which melanoma, the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer, spreads in the body. They also discovered a way to halt its spreading to other parts of the body.
The researchers have stated that they hope to turn melanoma into a non-malignant disease from which people may easily recover via this new discovery. Their findings were published in the Nature Cell Biology scientific journal.
The danger in melanoma is not its initial symptoms, but the possibility of metastasis.
Melanoma currently causes one death every 52 minutes around the world, with the number of patients rising steadily for the past 30 years. Several different treatments have been developed so far, but none offer a full-fledged solution for the treatment of the disease.
"The danger in melanoma is not in the initial tumor that appears on the skin, but in the metastases that the cancer sends to vital organs such as the brain, lungs, liver, and bones," explains lead researcher Dr. Carmit Levy of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU. "During our research, we discovered how the cancer spreads to distant organs, and we have even found ways of stopping the process before the metastasis stage."