The drug works by helping the immune system fight tumors. The FDA has pledged a quick review, and doctors are hopeful that the drug could be available by the end of 2010.

“We have not had any therapy that has prolonged survival” until now, said Dr. Lynn Schuchter of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, a skin cancer specialist with no role in the study or ties to the drug’s maker.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. Last year in the US, there were about 68,000 new cases and 8,650 deaths from the disease. Worldwide, more than 50,000 people die of melanoma each year.

“The incidence is rising faster than any other cancer,” said one of the study’s leaders, Dr. Stephen Hodi of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “When it spreads to vital organs, it’s almost always fatal.”

Unfortunately many people don’t think of skin cancer as a ‘killer’ and fail to protect themselves as well as they should. That’s why we’re committed to selling the highest SPF 150 rash guards and UV protective swim shirts available.

A pair of studies recently released found that some types of skin cancer can be inherited.

One study found that if you have an identical twin with melanoma your risk of developing the disease is much higher than having a fraternal twin with this type of skin cancer. The other study found that if you have a sibling or parent with one of several different types of non-melanoma cancers that your skin cancer increased risk as well.

Even if you don’t have a family history of skin cancer you should still take precautions to protect your skin because you don’t want to be the first in your family to get it – so always wear a brimmed hat, UV protective clothing and   whenever you’re out in the sun. 

Our revolutionary new KoreDry / StayDry swim shirts  are a ‘must have’ for anyone going in the water and who needs the highest SPF protection available.
Super soft, breathable and water resistant – they also wear well with a classy look so you’ll look great wet or dry.

These swim shirts provide the same SPF 150 UV and rash protection as our rash guards but in a looser t-shirt style fit that looks stylish in our out of the water for the best looking UV protection money can buy.

This week for readers of our Buy-Rash-Guards blog can get an additional discount off these amazing UV protective shirts by using coupon code kore-dry-swim-shirt when you checkout, (make sure you use it AFTER you put the shirt in your shopping cart).

So we were excited to read about a team of researchers at the University of San Francisco, (UCSF), who have discovered a new and highly accurate way to distinguish malignant melanomas from benign moles by using genetic markers.

This method has proven to have a success rate over 90% compared to the typical biopsy which is examined microscopically. Researchers say that using this new method in conjunction with the standard microscopic examination will help diagnose difficult cases with much more accuracy.

As most people know, Melanoma is the deadliest and fasted spreading form of skin cancer. It can spread to almost any organ of the body and is difficult to treat in its advanced stages. The earlier it is diagnosed and treated, the higher the survival rate.

This is the first large-scale study to demonstrate both the high diagnostic accuracy and practicality of a multi-biomarker approach to melanoma diagnosis, according to Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, MD, professor of dermatology at UCSF and director of the Melanoma Center at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

We can’t say it enough but please be sure to protect your family’s skin when you’re in or around the water with one of our rash guard shirts… the life you save could be your own or one of your kids!

Just a reminder from us here at Buy Rash Guards that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

You know we’re all about preventing skin cancer but excluding cancer of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and nearly one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and more than 40,000 women will succumb to the disease. Right now, there are around 2 million women in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer.

The key to defeating this disease is an aggressive defense through appropriate mammograms, preventive medical care and the consistent availability of treatment for those who are diagnosed. The American Cancer Society recommends that women obtain their first baseline mammogram at age 35 and annual mammograms and clinical breast exams after age 40. Women ages 20 to 39 are recommended to have a clinical breast exam every three years. All women are advised to perform monthly breast self-exams.

There’s plenty of debate about the safety and effectiveness of today’s popular sunscreens, how and when to use them and whether the chemicals they contain are safe or potentially deadly.

Four out of five name-brand sunscreens contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or offer inadequate protection, according to the second annual sunscreen summary by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research organization.

Leading brands – Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena – were the worst offenders, according to the group, which recommended 143 products at cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Only 15% of 952 products analyzed met EWG’s criteria for safety and effectiveness: blocking both UVA and UVB radiation, remaining stable in sunlight, and containing few if any ingredients with significant known or suspected health hazards.

The EWG recommends avoiding sunscreens containing the commonly used chemical oxybenzone out of concern that it can disrupt hormones, cause allergic reactions and damage cells.

“It’s one of the most absorbed sunscreen blockers, which wouldn’t necessarily be a concern, but it has high toxicity issues,” said EWG senior analyst Sonya Lunder.

Many products on the market bear claims that are considered “unacceptable” or misleading under FDA’s draft sunscreen safety standards. Claims like “all day protection,” “mild as water,” and “blocks all harmful rays” are not true, yet are found on bottles. Until FDA sets an effective date for these standards, industry is free to use hyped claims.

Want to know how safe your sunscreen really is? Want to know which products are safe to use? Checkout their 2008 Sunscreen Safety Guide.

Of course we here at Buy-Rash-Guards believe strongly in protecting ourselves form the harmful UV rays of the sun AND lowering our exposure to harmful chemicals found in sunscreens – that’s why we offer a line of rash guard shirts that will provide you with SPF 150+ protection that won’t wash off, breakdown in sunlight or cause your body to absorb harmful chemicals.

You can use our rashguards in conjunction with a safe and effective sunscreen to safely lower your exposure to the UVA and UVB rays of the sun that cause skin cancer.

· Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.

· Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.

· Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours. Wear a rash guard if you’re going to be in the water.

· Cover up with UV protective clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

· Seek the shade and avoid being in the sun when it’s the strongest between the hours of 10am-4pm.

· Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies older than 6 months.

· Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.

· See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

- Source: Skin Cancer Foundation, www.skincancer.org

These behaviors include infrequent use of UV and sun protective clothing; staying outside in the sun rather than seeking shade; infrequent use of sunscreen; indoor tanning with a sunlamp or tanning bed within the past year; and getting sunburned within the past year.

Whether you’re hanging out on the beach during vacation, coasting down glittering white snow on a winter ski trip, walking your dog or just running errands, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage your skin year-round…

Collectively, skin cancer of all types is the most common cancer in the United States and the incidence has increased over the past three decades. During 2007, an estimated 1.1 million Americans received a diagnosis of basal or squamous skin cancer, or the more invasive and potentially lethal melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society.

While heredity plays a role in skin cancer, simple overexposure to ultraviolet light, (something controlled by behavior), is a major factor in increased skin cancer risk according to Fox Chase psychologist Elliot Coups, Ph.D., (an assistant member in the psycho-oncology program at Fox Chase and lead author of the new study).

A non- controlled or heredity portrait of someone at risk of skin cancer would show a natural blonde or redhead with very fair skin that freckles and burns more easily than it tans. Also, melanoma, in particular, is known to run in certain families.

The Fox Chase researchers found that younger adults were particularly likely to engage in multiple behaviors that increase skin cancer risk. Men, Caucasians, smokers, persons who consume high levels of alcohol and persons who report having skin that is not especially sensitive to the sun were also more likely to engage in behaviors that placed them at increased skin cancer risk.

“Since the UV damage to the skin is cumulative, lack of protection by young people is likely to drive a continued increase in skin cancers as these generations grow older over the next decades,” noted Stuart R. Lessin, M.D., director of dermatology at Fox Chase. “This new research on behavior relating to skin cancer risk may help us target the highest-risk groups with educational messages tailored for them.”

“Ultraviolet radiation exposure is the most important modifiable risk factor for all types of skin cancer,” Coups said. “Wearing protective clothing like a wide-brimmed hat, avoiding sun exposure during the middle of the day, when rays are strongest, seeking shade, using sunscreen and avoiding indoor tanning have all been recommended by various agencies, but all available data suggest that the majority of American adults don’t follow this advice and instead have high rates of UV exposure and sunburns.”

Data for the study came from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, an annual representative U.S. health survey in which 31,428 individuals participated. The researchers excluded individuals who had already had skin cancer or whose questionnaires contained missing data in key areas of the study, resulting in a study sample of 28,235 individuals.

The report appeared Jan. 8 in the online edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and in the February 2008 issue of the print edition.