Russian patients will be available to innovative treatments for skin cancer

Further, under the United Nations Environment Programme, the depletion of ozone levels by 10% each year will lead to more than 300 thousand new cases of skin cancer in the world. In addition, in recent years many people with fair skin, that is genetically adapted to low solar activity for fashion, began to spend more time on the sunny resorts and solariums, which inevitably increases the total time of exposure to UV radiation on the skin. Therefore, in almost all countries of the world increases the frequency of skin cancers such as melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. 

Melanoma occurs in place of the existing “moles” (In 25% of cases) or to clean skin (75% of patients), being located anywhere on the body. The risk of melanoma is especially high for people who are long in the sun, so often melanoma is among fair-skinned people living in the southern countries, such as Australia (54.5 cases per 100,000 people), New Zealand, South Africa, southern states of the USA. But also in other countries of the world incidence of melanoma is increasing: in 2010 there were more than 209,000 new cases by 2020 this figure could reach about 262 thousand. 

In Russia every year about 8500 people first encounter this distressing diagnosis for melanoma in 1000 of which becomes a death sentence in the first year after diagnosis. In addition to excessive sun exposure, her appearance affect the deterioration of immune system function, professional contacts with ionizing radiation, taking hormones (estrogen) and other factors. At an early stage melanoma surgery effectively. However, the tumor often recurs. First quarter of patients are diagnosed too late, when only one in ten of them a chance to live more than 5 years. 

somewhat less dramatic situation with basal cell carcinoma (BCC or rodent). Despite the fact that every year the world record of more than 2 million new cases of BCC, this kind of skin cancer progresses slowly, usually occurs 10-15 years later (III-IV) stage. 

In the early stages of the disease You can perform surgery, conduct photodynamic therapy, irradiated tumor conduct drug therapy. Unfortunately, in Russia about 1 thousand patients annually identify BPC in the later stages, when the tumor is surgically remove without causing significant cosmetic defects until malformations is almost impossible because of its large size, sprouting in deeper tissue metastases. 

The serious problem at BPC is a location of the tumor mainly in open areas of the body (80%), primarily on the face: nose, ears, scalp, so many patients suffering brings them aesthetically unpleasant appearance resulting sometimes to social exclusion. 
 

«Basal cell carcinoma - the most common of all kinds of malignancies. At the same time, he has long been neglected, because the problem is not so ostrosotsialnyh as, for example, melanoma. Disease flows slowly, local treatment of early forms leads to recovery. However, locally advanced and metastatic disease forms can end the death of the patient. No drugs with proven efficacy in the BPC. I am for the practice have often observed fatalities - commented a senior researcher at the Department of General Oncology Research Institute,. NN Blokhin, coordinator of the Eastern European Group for the Study of sarcomas, PhD Benjamin Bohyan. - In addition, complex, extensive surgery for cosmetic lesions open areas characteristic of CCBs are often associated with the radical deterioration of the appearance of the patient. Expressed cosmetic defects of the head and face makes it impossible to social adaptation of patients after treatment. The medical community for decades to expect the emergence of the drug, which would allow to effectively treat CCL without resorting to aggressive and complicated surgery». 

Occurrence BPC besides solar radiation sufficiently significant influence genetic predisposition, potentially cancer-causing chemicals (petroleum resin, arsenic compound, etc.). 

Development of medicine has led to an understanding of the mechanisms of tumor development. Since 40-60% of patients with melanoma exhibit specific genetic defects; 90% of patients BPC - genetically determined molecular abnormalities. These changes in the patient activates the formation of pathological proteins that stimulate the growth of malignant cells. Therefore, the development of “smart” drugs that “point” affect these proteins inhibit their activity and interrupt the growth of tumors was only a matter of time. 

«Unfortunately, a significant portion of patients seek to doctors already in the advanced stage of melanoma, which greatly reduces the likelihood of recovery - Head of the Department notes tumor biotherapy RCRC. NN RAMS, Chairman of the Expert Group on melanoma RUSSCO, MD Leo Demidov. - And the presence of metastases surgery reduced role, and on the first place medication. Before chemotherapy was applied, but it was not characterized by high efficiency. In the coming era of new targeted therapies therapy is aimed at specific molecular “breakdown” individual patients. First you need to determine whether a given patient, this “breaking” and then see whether there is a cure against it, and if there is - then assign it. Today in the arsenal of physicians have already appeared similar drugs. This new drugs for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma who have a specific “mutation” (About 50% of patients), which is able to suppress the drug. The emergence of such drugs - this is just the beginning. We predict that in two or three years their number will increase, and they will cover a wider range of mutations, and patients will receive an individual, and therefore more effective treatment plan ».