Nancy Thomas

..The finding of tandem mutations in thin melanomas makes it more likely that they arise as a simultaneous rather than sequential event...

..Solar elastosis adjacent to melanomas in histologic sections is regarded as an indicator of sun exposure, although the associations of UV exposure and phenotype with solar elastosis are yet to be fully explored...

..The authors did not find an association between somatic BRAF-mutant melanoma and germline melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene status. We discuss this seeming paradox in light of previous studies demonstrating strong associations...

..The association of BRAF mutations with early-life UV exposure provides evidence in support of childhood sun protection for melanoma prevention...

..We propose a mechanism for their origin, taking into consideration melanocytic-specific BRAF tandem mutations, nearby potential pyrimidine dimer sites, the properties of specialized DNA polymerases, and biological selection...

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..Clinical, dermoscopic, and pathologic features of these "de novo" melanomas, which became invasive while small in diameter and had few clinical criteria for diagnosis, are reported...

..Our observations suggest that Raf and MEK inhibitors may be effective for the treatment of B-RAF mutation-positive colorectal carcinomas as well as melanomas...

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..ORs for XPD and XPC genotypes were stronger for melanoma diagnosed at an early age, but tests for interaction were not statistically significant. The results provide further evidence for a role of XPD in the etiology of melanoma...

..This first report of a DNA-methylation signature discriminating melanomas from nevi indicates that DNA methylation appears promising as an additional tool for enhancing melanoma diagnosis...

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..To examine the effect of travel distance and other sociodemographic factors on access to a diagnosing provider for patients with melanoma...

..The results suggest that defects in DNA damage checkpoints may be recognized in melanomas through analysis of gene expression...

..These results show a molecularly distinct melanoma subtype that does not require ERK activation or epithelial-mesenchymal transformation for progression...

..We hypothesize that a significant portion of these patients are not undergoing LM/SL. We explore factors that influence use of LM/SL...

..The purpose of this study is to describe the structure of melanoma care in North Carolina by examining services provided by different providers and the overall coordination of care...

..To compare the prognosis of patients with scalp or neck (scalp/neck) melanomas with that of patients with melanomas at other sites in a large, population-based national data set controlling for known prognostic factors...

..Furthermore, the process leading to COE may be the first step in a progression to ulceration...

..We report an occurrence of multiple eruptive dysplastic nevi and in situ melanomas appearing shortly after completion of chemotherapy...

..Although only a minority of FFPE blocks could be analyzed, we show that informative RNA expression analysis can be derived from selected FFPE samples...

..We suggest that BRAF mutations contribute to benign melanocytic hyperplasia, but are likely to contribute to invasive melanoma only in conjunction with other mutations...

..This study is also expected to lead to identification of new chemotherapeutic targets and more efficient testing of inhibitors for NRAS and BRAF signaling, which have recently been developed. ..

..This study is also expected to lead to identification of new hemotherapeutic targets and more efficient testing of inhibitors for NRAS and BRAF signaling, which have recently been developed. ..

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..Understanding of the role of these somatic mutations in the etiology and progression of melanoma likely will be crucial for its prevention, improved diagnosis, and effective application of new clinical treatments. ..