How to Prevent the Development of Skin Cancer Squamous Cell Carcinoma

An extraordinary step forward in understanding what stops the development of one of the most common skin cancer could help to create new treatments available to patients within the next 5 years. In a study recently published in the journal Cancer Cell, an international team of scientists led by Australian researchers has discovered a gene that helps protect the body from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin.

 

The Australian Cancer Council estimates that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before 70 years to accomplish, with squamous cell carcinoma as the most common type. Until now, the genetic basis of cancer had not been fully understood, and the only treatment option has been surgical removal.

However, experts have found that there is a protective gene that is abnormally absent in people with this carcinoma. While researchers originally congregated on skin cancer, they saw that this gene is also absent in SCC arising in other tissues, such as the head and neck, frequently associated with a poor prognosis. As a result, scientists have shown that the absence of a protective gene in particular cancel signal that prevents skin cells continue to grow.

The fact that we have identified this gene provides a clear direction for the development of strategies for prevention, how to cure cancer, in the near future. Indeed, this study suggests that certain drugs currently used in clinical trials may be effective even on this carcinoma. The same thing happens with the prevention; There are already strategies where it increases the expression of a gene to protect a fabric. In this case, use molecules to increase the expression of this gene can prevent the development of skin cancer, for example in the form of sunscreen.

In conclusion, the benefits of this study may be the hand of patients in less than 5 years.