2005 OCT 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Nano-sized particles developed at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis offer hope of replacing numerous
medical tests, scans, or surgeries with a simple injection.
The tiny spheres can travel through the bloodstream deep into the body to
locate and highlight tumors undetectable by typical methods. While at the
tumor site, the nanoparticles can deliver therapeutic agents to destroy the
tumor.
To advance this promising technology, the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
has awarded $16 million over five years to the school of medicine to establish
the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (SCCNE). The NCI also
awarded funding for six other Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
(CCNEs) around the United States.
Skin cancer strikes an estimated three million people a year worldwide making
it the most common of all types of cancer. We know the main cause of most
skin cancer cases and we know how to prevent the vast majority of them. Yet
still millions of people across the globe are ignoring the warnings and
deliberately putting themselves at risk of developing a disease which can
both maim and kill its victims.
The difficulty in tackling many types of cancer lies in the fact that no-one
knows the real cause - and that's a major obstacle to prevention. Skin cancer
is different. Over exposure to the sun causes most types of skin cancer (both
melanoma and non-melanoma) so reducing that exposure and taking sensible
precautions are obvious prevention measures.
Thanks to high profile public health campaigns in recent years, most people
in the developed world are aware of the danger of damaging ultraviolet rays
and know, at least to some degree, what they should be doing to protect
themselves. So why do holidaymakers still flock in their droves to fry themselves
on sun drenched beaches each year? And why do tens of millions of tanners
across the globe expose themselves to the UV rays of artificial sun beds.
One simple answer could be that a tan is still perceived as sexy. A bronzed
body has been the ultimate fashion accessory since Coco Chanel arrived back
from the south of France with one in the 1920s. But in those days we didn't
know the dangers of stripping off intermittently in pursuit of a sun-kissed
skin. Now we do.
Many stars of the pop world and silver screen still flaunt a tan as something
highly desirable (whereas many dermatologists will tell you a tan is a sign
of damaged skin). Sunscreen manufacturers assure us we'll be protected from
skin damage if we slap on their expensive high protection lotions (whereas
studies have shown that many of these high factor lotions don't live up to
the claims of their makers). And many unscrupulous tanning salon owners promote
their sun beds as an aid to good health (whereas some skin specialists want
them outlawed claiming they cause skin cancer.)
It seems Joe Public is at the receiving end of a lot of myths and mixed messages
about a disease which now accounts for one in three of all diagnosed cancers.
This site exists to provide independent information about skin cancer (its
causes, prevention and treatment) and to encourage open public debate about
a disease which has driven health campaigners into battle against the
multi-billion-dollar tanning industry.
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