Special Issue "Current Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma"

Guest Editor
Dr. Chyi-Chia Richard Lee
Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 2B50, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892-0001, USA
Website: http://ccr.cancer.gov/staff/staff.asp?profileid=12822
E-Mail:
Phone: +1 301 594 7365
Fax: +1 301 480 9488
Interests: melanoma; skin cancers; dermatopathology; skin pathology; melanocytic skin lesions

Dear Colleagues,

In regard to the diagnosis of melanoma, possible topics of interest may include: histopathology and diagnostic reporting of cutaneous melanoma, diagnostic markers (immunohistochemistry and molecular methods such as PCR, FISH, array CGH), dermatoscopy as a clinical diagnostic tool (including digital dermatoscopy), whole body skin examination with digital photography, imaging studies, etc. In regard to the treatment of melanoma, possible topics of interest may include: surgery, therapeutic and progonostic value of lymph node dissection, chemotheraphy (interferon), radiotherapy, tumor vaccines, cellular therapy (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes), and gene therapy (educated T-cells targeting tumor cells), etc.

Chyi-Chia Richard Lee, MD Ph. D.
Guest Editor

Submission Information

All manuscripts should be submitted to cancers@mdpi.com with a copy to the Guest Editor. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.

For the first two issues, to be published in 2009 and 2010, the Article Processing Charges (APC) will be waived for well-prepared manuscripts. English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Epigenetic Modulation of Tumor-Associated Antigens: A New Weapon for Melanoma Immunotherapy
Authors: Hugues J.M. Nicolay ^1,2, Luca Sigalotti ², Alessia Covre ², Elisabetta Fratta ², Giulia Parisi ², Ester Fonsatti ¹, Sandra Coral ² and Michele Maio ^1,2
Affiliations: ¹ Division of Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, Istituto Toscano Tumori, Siena, Italy
² Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Aviano, Italy; E-Mail: mmaio@cro.it
Abstract: Epigenetic modifications have emerged as playing a central role in development and progression of human cutaneous melanoma, by affecting different pathways involved in disease progression. Along this line, DNA hypermethylation is also involved in favoring tumor escape from host’s immune recognition, by affecting the expression of selected antigens (i.e., HLA antigens, tumor-associated antigens (TAA), accessory/co-stimulatory molecules) required for an efficient immunologic recognition of melanoma cells.This review will focus on the epigenetic regulation of TAA constitutively expressed by melanoma cells, and on their modulation by epigenetic drugs. Particular emphasis will be given to TAA utilized as therapeutic targets in ongoing immunotherapy trials for cutaneous melanoma patients (i.e., High Molecular Weight-Melanoma-Associated Antigen, Cancer Testis Antigens).

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Circulating Tumour Cells in Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: Are they prognostic?
Author: Mel Ziman
Affiliation: School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Perth, Western Australia 6027; E-Mail: m.ziman@ecu.edu.au
Abstract: An important clinical aspect of the long term survival of patients with melanoma is the assessment and prevention of systemic metastasis. One measure of disease spread that may be useful as a prognostic tool is the quantification of circulating melanoma cells. A number of studies have now shown that circulating melanoma cells are a prognostic indicator in Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma (CMM). Several important issues remain to be clarified. One issue is whether the quantity of circulating cells or their phenotype is the most accurate prediction of patient outcome. In addition, obtaining accurate and reliable results for the measurement of very small quantities of circulating cells in a background of normal blood cells presents logistical problems. We review here accurate and reliable methods of isolating, quantifying and characterising circulating cells, and suggest informative markers for analysis of circulating melanoma cells.