Journal of

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Cancer is a genetic condition. Some cancers are inherited, but most are caused by mutations in somatic cells. The cause of these mutations is inherent error in the transcription of DNA or exposure to carcinogens. Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer which develops from pigment-containing cells known as melanocytes. The most potent risk factors for melanoma is the presence of multiple benign moles or abnormal spots, and family history of melanoma. Metastasis is a complex multi-stage process that results in development of secondary malignant growths and the spread of cancer cells to other areas of the body leading to patient’s death. Melanoma metastases are mainly to the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and central nervous system. The aim of this article is to review the mechanisms of development and metastasis of melanoma by searching database such as SID, Google Scholar, American Electronic Library,Springer and PubMed.

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Alopecia areata (AA) is a sudden non-scarring hair loss that can be seen in any hairy area in the form of round or oval patches. It is an autoimmune disorder with an immunological response against hair follicles that is caused by genetic and environmental factors. The prevalence of AA is about 0.1% to 0.2% worldwide. Depending on the severity of the disease and sites of involvement, it can be divided into: Alopecia with Patchy pattern, alopecia reticularis, alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, alopecia ophiasis, alopecia sisiapho, diffuse type and perinevoid alopecia areata. There are various treatment options for AA, but once terminated, they have a high recurrence rate. AA is known for the infiltration of T lymphocytes around the hair follicle bulb, and corticosteroids are its main treatment. Another treatment is topical immunotherapy, the most important of which is Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP). It is used in cases that have more than 50% hair loss or are resistant to treatment. The exact DPCP mechanism of action is not well understood, but it may have some kind of antigenic competition and reduce the production of anti-hair follicle antibodies. It can alter the immune response in the skin and alter the ratio of CD4 to CD8 cells around the hair follicle in a way that enhances healing of the disease. It is stated that the rate of hair regrowth in DPCP treatment is about 50% on average. In this article, we review the latest findings of about AA and discuss its therapeutic aspects, especially with DPCP.

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Virtually all deaths in young patients with advanced skin tumors are caused by melanoma. Today, thanks to modern treatments, these patients survive longer or can even be cured. Advanced melanoma is often associated with a poor prognosis, and physicians continue to believe that the disease is difficult to treat due to the lack of durable response to initial treatment regimens and the lack of randomized clinical trials in the post-immunotherapy/targeted molecular therapy setting. New therapeutic targets are emerging based on preclinical data on the genetic profile of melanocytes and the identification of molecular factors involved in the pathogenesis of malignant transformations. In this article, we present the challenges of diagnosis, molecular biology and genetics of malignant melanoma, as well as current treatment options for patients with this diagnosis.