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Posts Tagged ‘melanocortin’

April 22, 2009

Dark Hair and Skin Doesn’t Necessarily Protect You From Skin Cancer »

Traditionally, people with darker hair and skin color who do not sunburn easily were classified as lower risk for skin cancer. But new research is showing that even people with these traits can be at high risk for melanoma, based on their genetic factors. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that variations in the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), a molecule that controls skin pigmentation, in individuals with dark features can actually increase their melanoma risk by 2.4-fold. Although no test is currently available to detect whether one has a MC1R variant, this genetic contribution to melanoma risk will definitely be considered when stratifying individuals for skin cancer risk in the future.

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Posted by Steven / April 22, 2009 7:34 pm / Permalink / Comments (2) / Trackbacks (0)