A melanoma expert with the MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas, United States, recently visited Stellenbosch University (SU) to exchange knowledge and ideas about this dangerous form of skin cancer that threatens the health of the country.

During his visit to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Professor Jeffrey Gershenwald, medical director for the Melanoma and Skin Centre at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre, shared lessons learnt about the prevention and treatment of melanoma with medical and academic colleagues in South Africa.

His visit to the FMHS' African Cancer Institute was part of the Global Academic Programs which facilitates networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities between the MD Anderson Cancer Centre and partner institutions around the world.

According to Gershenwald, prevention is key to the management of melanoma. 

"The main causes of melanoma are overexposure to the sun and indoor tanning," said Gershenwald, who shared some of the lessons on policy initiation and education and prevention strategies to help curb the disease.

He also shared information on some of the latest treatment modalities for melanoma with clinicians in both the public and private health care sectors.

"It has been an unprecedented time for the treatment of melanoma as science has gained a much better understanding of the immunology of the disease," Gershenwald said.

Targeted immunotherapy that inhibits proliferation of the mutated BRAF-gene (which is responsible for about half of all melanoma cases) has drastically improved the survival rate of patients with advanced disease, he explained.

Caption: Prof Jeffrey Gershenwald from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in the US visited the African Cancer Institute.