MELANOMA IN THE FIRST STATE DID NOT ONLY CLAIM BOB MARLEY'S LIFE

Background:Melanoma is regarded as the deadliest among skin cancer. In fact Delaware’s Bob Marley succumbed to melanoma under his toenail at the age of 36. In the past decade significant advances in the characterization of melanoma at the molecular and genetic level with implications for treatment has immerged. It came as the incidence and prevalence of melanoma increased all through the United States particularly in Delaware. Methods:During a NIH-NIGMS-INBRE (IDeA) internship program, we ran immunohistochemical analysis of the BRAF V600E mutation status on all confirmed melanoma cases. Data analysis, including patient demographics, melanoma variant, and clinical outcome when available, are correlated with the BRAF mutation status and plotted against geographic patient location. Inherent bias is factored in including demographic shifts in and out of state. We conducted a thorough review of the malignant melanoma cases between September 2015 and July 2016 received at Green Clinics Laboratory (GCL) based in Dover, DE with special emphasis on Kent and Sussex counties. Results:Analysis of the data reveals that we surpassed the national average in new cases per capita as well as in prevalence of the BRAF mutation in Melanoma cases. Also, our findings were more prevalent in the younger age groups opposed to patients above 70. Conclusion: Increased incidence of Melanoma in the first state may be attributed to demographic factors, Population shift as well as increased prevalence of BRAF mutation. As resent studies have shown that targeted treatments of advanced malignant melanoma cases will significantly change their outcome; such application may be of particular benefit in Delaware.