Anyone can get melanoma, but some people have a higher risk of developing the cancer. Melanoma is more common in people who have fair skin, blue or green eyes and light-colored hair (red or blonde). Excessive exposure to the sun and severe sunburns as a child or teen are associated with an increased incidence of melanoma. People with a great number of moles are also at increased risk, especially those with moles that are unusually large, unusual or irregular. Family history of melanoma and personal history of the cancer also increases the risk.

Signs of Melanoma Health experts urge everyone to perform regular skin self-exams to look for possible signs of melanoma or other forms of skin cancer. The best way to remember what to look for is to follow the A-B-C-D rule:

"A" stands for asymmetry. Moles are usually round and symmetrical. Early melanomas may consist of two halves that don't match (for example a raised area on one side and flat surface on the other).

"B" is for border. Round moles have smooth edges. Melanomas are more likely to have uneven, scalloped or notched borders.

"C" is for color. Moles are normally one color - usually a shade of brown. A melanoma may have more than one color or various shades of color.

"D" is diameter. Melanomas often grow much larger than common moles. In many cases, a melanoma may be the size of a pencil eraser or larger.

"E" is the newest letter added to the screening rule. It stands for evolving, or changes. Sudden changes in the color, size or shape of a mole as well as development of itching, redness, bleeding, scaling or swelling around a mole should be checked out by a physician.

Some other potential warning signs of melanoma include: sudden change in the color, size or shape of a mole and itching, redness, scaling or swelling around a mole.

Treating Melanoma When melanoma is suspected, a biopsy of the area is done to examine the cells under a microscope. The biopsy confirms the diagnosis.

An important method of treatment for melanoma is surgery to remove the cancer. Doctors may perform biopsies during surgery to make sure there are no cancer cells remaining in surrounding areas of healthy tissue. If the cancer has spread, nearby lymph nodes may need to be removed. In addition to surgery, patients may also receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy.

Treating Malignant Melanoma Once melanoma has spread, it can be very difficult to treat. Scientists say because melanoma arises from normal cells (the melanocytes) the immune system doesn't recognize the cancer as "bad" and something that needs to be eliminated. Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center are testing a technique to "train" the body to recognize melanoma cells, and hopefully, mount an attack against the cancer. A drug, called interleukin-12 (IL-12), is injected into the tumor. To get the drug past the cancer's protective cell membrane and into the cancer cell, the investigators are using a technique called electroporation. A small electric charge is delivered through a probe inserted into the area. The electrical fields temporarily open the cell walls, making them more porous, allowing the drug to get inside the cells. Hopefully, the treatment will kill the tumor and "teach" the body to recognize the cancer cells as foreign invaders. Ideally, if any stray melanoma cells exist, the body will learn to attack those cells as well reducing the risk of recurrence.

In laboratory animals the IL-12/electroporation treatment was 80 percent successful in permanently eliminating the tumor. None of the animals developed any recurrences. Researchers even injected melanoma cells into the animals and found they couldn't get any new tumors to form. Thus, the treatment appears to have some protective effect as well.

Investigators have just begun testing the IL-12/electroporation technique in people. The current study will determine if the treatment works in humans and the most effective, safest dose of the drug.

For information about the study, visit Moffitt's website at: http://www.moffitt.usf.edu/prevention_and_treatment/clinical_trials

For information about electroporation http://www.inovio.com

For information about melanoma: American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.aad.org The Melanoma International Foundation, http://www.melanomaintl.org The Melanoma Research Foundation, http://www.melanoma.org The National Cancer Institute, http://www.nci.nih.gov The Skin Cancer Foundation, http://www.skincancer.org