School’s out and Canada Day is coming up this week. We know that we will probably be all out soaking up the rays. It has been a very long winter. It is a good time to consider our exposure to the sun. According to an Alberta Health Services fact sheet, there are close to 68,000 cases of skin cancer in Canada each year. Additionally, there are 4,500 new melanoma cases, and in 2006 there were 880 deaths from melanoma in Canada.

Today, a major study released by scientists at Yale University describes the fact that while the incidence of melanoma is increasing, the survival rate has not improved. The research group wished to find new ways to detect and treat melanoma. The group’s most recent publication tells how scientists have mapped chemical modification of the DNA in the melanoma genome. Not surprisingly, they found mutations to the DNA code. Additionally, they also detected epigenetic disruptions (abnormal DNA methylation) which they state can lead to cellular functions that can go awry and lead to the disease.

Spokesperson Dr. Ruth Halaban indicated that “because DNA methylation can be reversed, it is an attractive target for cancer therapy.” In their study, they looked at different promotors and found that in 76 cases there was increased methylation of DNA in the cases of melanoma compared to normal cells. According to the release, the scientists looked specifically at five genes, three of which had not previously been implicated in melanoma. The promising results indicate that these markers will be useful for monitoring tumour progression. Additionally, they found that through the use of decitabine, an inhibitor of DNA methylation, these genes could be reactivated. This drug has also been effective in the treatment of some other cancers.

Much work is still to be done in this area. Until then, our best approach is to use sunscreen, especially a waterproof lotion if we are swimming or doing high activity outdoor sports, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and make sure to protect our children from over-exposure to the sun.