The UK now has more deaths from the most deadly
form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma – than even
Australia. And the incidence of malignant melanoma is growing faster
in the south
west of the UK than anywhere else in the country.
Between 1998 and 2003 there were 8,100 British deaths from malignant
melanoma, compared to 4,900 in Australia.
New laboratories to help combat this problem will be opened at the
University of Bristol on Tuesday 22nd August.
Despite recent advances in many cancer treatments, there are still
very few options for patients whose melanoma has spread around the
body.
Over the past four years research in the Microvascular Research Laboratories
(MVRL) at the University of Bristol has found new ways of identifying
which patients with melanoma will go on to get distant spread of the
tumour. Researchers have also found new mechanisms to explain how these
cancers spread.
To enable the expansion of this crucial work the MVRL was recently
awarded a grant from the Skin Cancer Research Fund, a national charity
based in Bristol, to refurbish and run a new laboratory suite. The
new laboratory will enable researchers at the University of Bristol
to study cancer cells collected from skin cancer patients attending
Frenchay Hospital.
Dr David Bates, who will head up the new labs, said:
“ Through
a unique collaboration between University scientists and surgeons and
doctors at Frenchay Hospital, we anticipate being able to give hope
and support to patients with skin cancer by building on our recent
breakthroughs, and finding out how to better treat the condition once
it spreads”.
The new Skin Cancer Research Fund Laboratory will be opened by the
Director of the Skin Cancer Research Fund, Mr Paul Townsend, on Tuesday
August 22nd at 3 pm. The opening will be followed by a reception for
the staff and visitors.
News
is included on the IvyRose website to inform visitors about current
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or activity. The views stated in the article above are not necessarily
those of IvyRose Ltd.. Material in this news item was released
by Bristol University (England,
UK) on
21 August 2006 and may have been edited (e.g. in style, length,
and/or for
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