The European Institute of Oncology Melanoma Cancer Centre opened earlier this year and represents an important integrated multi-specialist centre for melanoma and other skin cancers in Europe.

The centre offers the patient the most innovative therapies and advanced technologies such as Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM), a non-invasive diagnostic tool employing a low-power laser beam that scans the skin horizontally.

This technique can visualize “in vivo” the morphology of skin cells and even their nuclei, thereby allowing differentiation between healthy and tumour cells.

Another innovative technology under investigation is the liver chemoperfusion (percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) for the treatment of liver metastases. 

The technique consists in isolating the hepatic blood supply from the rest of the body so that a much higher dose of the chemotherapic agent can be specifically delivered to the liver than would be tolerated systemically. 

This minimally invasive approach means that the patient with liver metastases can avoid complex and risky surgery. IEO is the first and only experimenter of this technique to be performed outside the ongoing U.S. clinical trial with the first four patients recently completing treatment.

The Centre offers the most advanced treatments including novel molecules such as the   monoclonal antibody Ipilimumab, which stimulates the bodies own immune system and Vemurafenib which interrupts the growth of melanoma cells carrying a specific mutation. Both agents are effective in increasing survival in inoperable patients. Further promising research is ongoing to develop vaccines which could exploit the ability of some infectious agents to induce a powerful immune system response to disease.

 "In Italy alone over 6000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed every year, of which 20-30% will be fatal - says Alessandro Testori, Director of the Division of Melanoma and Sarcoma at the IEO. The number of new cases is steadily increasing and in the last 15 years has nearly doubled. Fortunately the majority of melanomas (approximately 85%) are diagnosed at an early stage when the chances of definitive cure are very high. 

However advanced disease is very aggressive and a multidisciplinary approach is necessary for effective control of the disease. The Melanoma Cancer Centre provides the best technology for early diagnosis, surgery, pharmacotherapy, interventional and laboratory research. "

 "At the beginning of the last century no one was cured of melanoma - said Umberto Veronesi – now we can save over 80% of patients. We can and should reach 100% cure. This goal requires the mobilization of the population and family doctors. We should all take precaution in the sun and take regular skin check-ups. GPs could reduce skin cancer deaths by introducing skin check-ups at routine visits to the doctor. If a mole or skin lesion becomes larger, changes in colour or develops an irregular border you should present for examination. ”

Source: IEO