Etiologies of Melanoma Development and Prevention Measures: A Review of the Current Evidence

Abstract

(1) Melanoma is the most aggressive dermatologic malignancy, with an estimated 106,110 new cases to be diagnosed in 2021. The annual incidence rates continue to climb, which underscores the critical importance of improving the methods to prevent this disease. The interventions to assist with melanoma prevention vary and typically include measures such as UV avoidance and the use of protective clothing, sunscreen, and other chemopreventive agents. However, the evidence is mixed surrounding the use of these and other interventions. This review discusses the heritable etiologies underlying melanoma development before delving into the data surrounding the preventive methods highlighted above. (2) A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify the clinical trials, observational studies, and meta-analyses pertinent to melanoma prevention and incidence. Online resources were queried to identify epidemiologic and clinical trial information. (3) Evidence exists to support population-wide screening programs, the proper use of sunscreen, and community-targeted measures in the prevention of melanoma. Clinical evidence for the majority of the proposed preventive chemotherapeutics is presently minimal but continues to evolve. (4) Further study of these chemotherapeutics, as well as improvement of techniques in artificial intelligence and imaging techniques for melanoma screening, is warranted for continued improvement of melanoma prevention.

The Anticancer Potential of Doxycycline and Minocycline—A Comparative Study on Amelanotic Melanoma Cell Lines

“…Statistical data for the US in 2021 indicates that estimated numbers of new cases and deaths from melanoma were over 100,000 and 7000, respectively [ 12 ]. This means an increase in newly diagnosed patients with melanoma of 62% when compared with 2011 [ 13 ]. It is worth mentioning that the COVID pandemic, lockdown, and many implemented restrictions decreased the number of diagnosed and treated skin cancers, including melanoma [ 14 ].…”

A multicenter case‐control study comparing sun exposure habits and use of photoprotection measures in patients diagnosed with different types of skin cancer

“…This could possibly be explained due to poor knowledge at the time about sun damage and the implications thereof. Recent years have seen an exponential increase in photoprotection campaigns, which have considerably increased awareness among the general public 32–34 . Encouragingly, photoprotection habits in our study population had improved considerably compared with 15 years ago.…”

Nodular Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

“…In patients with BRAF V600E or V600K positive mutations, the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib has been used, with improved free survival and metastasis-free survival [14,26]. The most effective treatment, in terms of overall survival in BRAF-positive melanoma, is the combination of BRAF inhibitors plus MEK inhibitors (trametinib), and PD-1 inhibitors being the safest [5,25].…”