Skin cancer research
Cancer Research UK is a major funder of skin cancer research in the UK. Our broad research programme ranges from uncovering the causes of the disease to developing new treatments for patients.
We are also heavily involved in raising public awareness of skin cancer, early symptoms of the disease and the dangers of too much sun exposure, particularly through our national SunSmart campaign.
We also provide a range of information materials aimed at people affected by cancer. There are extensive sections on melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer on our patient information website, CancerHelp UK.
You can find out more about melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers in our Cancers At A Glance section.
Understanding the causes of skin cancer
Most skin cancers are caused by UV radiation damaging the genes involved in the growth and survival of skin cells. Our scientists are studying healthy skin cells to find out more about how they function, and understand exactly how gene damage causes things to go wrong. This work will help researchers develop new ways to detect and treat the disease.
In collaboration with the Institute of Cancer Research and The Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK-funded scientists in London have discovered that a gene called B-Raf is damaged in over 7 out of 10 melanomas. The team, lead by Professor Richard Marais, is now investigating the protein made by B-Raf to determine its role in cancer.
They have already identified some of the key molecules that the B-Raf protein interacts with. The team is also looking for ways to target B-Raf, which may form the basis of new treatments for the disease in the future.
Another Cancer Research UK group in London, lead by Professor Alan Storey, is looking at the relationship between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and non-melanoma skin cancer. HPV is involved in some cases of skin cancer. Studying how the virus damages skin cells may shed light on how these and other cases of skin cancer develop.
Other scientists in London are studying a type of skin cell called the melanocyte, from which melanoma develops. They are particularly interested in how melanocytes stick together, and how they separate and move to other parts of the body when they become cancerous – a process called metastasis.
Prevention and early detection
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to be careful about UV exposure. SunSmart is the UK's national skin cancer awareness campaign. It aims specifically to:
- Increase knowledge of the causes of skin cancer and the importance of early detection among key groups such as children and the fair-skinned.
- Raise awareness of actions that can be taken to prevent skin cancer.
- Encourage positive attitudes towards sun protection.
The genes we are born with influence our susceptibility to the damaging effects of UV radiation. In rare cases, a person may inherit a faulty gene that puts them at very high risk of developing melanoma (as much as fifty times that of the general population), whereas other people inherit gene variants that influence their risk to a much lesser degree.
If we could better identify susceptible individuals, doctors could advise them on ways to lower their risk, for example by being extra careful in the sun and checking moles for changes. So we are funding research to find and study the genes that influence melanoma risk. Our scientists in Leeds are closing in on one such gene that is linked to a much higher risk of the disease.
Improving treatment
Melanoma is usually treated using surgery, but additional treatment may help prevent the cancer coming back in patients at high risk of recurrence. The drug Avastin has been shown to have some effect on melanoma that has already spread. Dr Pippa Corrie at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is leading a national clinical trial to test if Avastin after surgery can help prevent recurrence and improve the outlook for some melanoma patients.
In a very small proportion of melanoma patients, their immune system appears to clear the disease without them requiring treatment. Since this landmark observation, Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have been studying how the immune system can sometimes fight cancer, but why it is so rarely effective. Our scientists in London and Oxford hope to harness this knowledge to develop potential vaccines that can stimulate the immune system to attack melanoma cells in all patients.
The vast majority of non-melanoma skin cancers are treated successfully with surgery, but such treatment can be disfiguring. Cancer Research UK-funded scientists in Nottingham are examining whether a cream called imiquimod could replace surgery in some cases. The cream stimulates the immune system to attack the tumour. The team is carrying out a trial to compare imiquimod with standard surgery in patients with basal cell cancer. Doctors hope that imiquimod will be as effective and so patients in future may not have to undergo an operation to remove their cancer.
Improving quality of life
Cancer Research UK is committed to improving the quality of life for cancer patients and supporting them and their families.
In Aberdeen Dr Peter Murchie is carrying out a project that aims to improve the follow-up care received by people treated for melanoma. For patients whose cancer is detected early, long-term survival is excellent. Despite this, melanoma can sometimes recur, making careful long-term follow-up essential. Traditionally, follow-up for melanoma takes place at hospital clinics, our researchers are looking at whether this could be carried out by the patient’s GP instead. This approach could prove to be more attractive for patients and professionals alike. Patients involved in a similar trial of breast cancer follow-up reported that seeing their GP was a more satisfying experience.
Progress and future perspectives
- Sustained, targeted and properly funded skin cancer awareness campaigns could reduce the incidence of skin cancer in the long term.
- Thanks to a combination of awareness, early detection and improved treatment, the survival rate for melanoma in the UK is improving by about 5% every 5 years.
- A new generation of skin cancer therapies should lead to further improvements in survival and quality of life.
