Cancer Research Lab

The death rate from genital non-melanoma skin cancer is three times higher for women than for men. Investigators who conducted a large, population-based study attribute the higher death rate largely to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Co-investigator Dr. Martin A. Weinstock of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, presented the study findings here Sunday at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

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Feb. 2 (iVillage Total Health) — A new study using brown algae to treat mice may show promise for millions of Americans who develop skin cancer each year. Ohio State University scientists studied the effect that topical and oral ingestion of substances from brown algae found in marine seaweed had on growth and size of non-melanoma skin tumors in mice. Results of the study were published in the December 15 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 1 million cases diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Most cases are caused by overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. People with lightly pigmented skin and those who have previously developed skin cancer have the greatest risk of developing the condition. Non-melanoma skin cancer is curable if it is identified early, through a biopsy, and then removed through one of several methods.

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