Category: Melanoma Stories
Compassion, Dignity, & Fashion: Paloma Soledad’s Melanoma Story
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 7 August 2023 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories
Advanced melanoma challenges patients and families in ways they often could never expect. For New Yorker Paloma Soledad, various side effects from her treatment made it difficult to feel comfortable in her everyday clothing. As a creative artist and designer, she saw this as an opportunity to find a solution...
MRA's Latest Research Report: Reaching for the Stars
25 July 2023 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Each year, MRA convenes global thought leaders from across the melanoma research community to exchange ideas, report on scientific successes and challenges, and network and forge new collaborations.
MRA's RARE Registry for Acral & Mucosal Melanoma Surpasses 100-Patient Milestone
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 10 July 2023 In Melanoma Stories, News, Science
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, today announced that the RARE Registry for acral and mucosal melanoma has officially surpassed 100 patients, making it the largest registry of its kind in the world and marking an important milestone in advancing cutting-edge research for these rare and difficult-to-treat melanoma subtypes.
Andrew Smith: Father, Veteran, and Melanoma Survivor
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 25 June 2023 In Melanoma Stories, Prevention, Treatment
Andrew Smith was 37 years old when his wife Anna noticed an odd-looking spot on his nose and encouraged him to get it checked out. While this father of three wasn’t particularly concerned, he did bring it up with his primary care physician to assure his wife that everything was okay.
Melanoma Awareness Month: In Case You Missed It
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 13 June 2023 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Science
Last month, the entire melanoma community came together to recognize Melanoma Awareness Month, hear from leaders in the field, connect with other advocates, and spread awareness of melanoma and the importance of prevention and early detection.
Having Melanoma Made Me a Better Dermatologist: Dr. Beth Strow’s Story
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 29 May 2023 In Melanoma Stories
Dr. Beth Strow’s path to dermatology was neither short nor simple, but it was exactly where she was meant to end up. In fact, her first step into the medical field was as a nurse, when she worked for some time at Children's Hospital of Chicago at Northwestern University.
JD Durkin: An Early-Stage Melanoma & Redefining His Relationship with the Sun
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 26 April 2023 In Melanoma Stories, Prevention
As he entered his 30s, skin exams and biopsies were a regular and frequent occurrence in J.D. Durkin’s life. Growing up with many irregular moles, he started seeing his dermatologist regularly at just 10-years old. Unfortunately for J.D., this meant many excisional biopsies.
Trust Your Gut & Other Tips for Facing Melanoma
20 April 2023 In Events, Melanoma Stories, Treatment
Whether new to melanoma or well into your journey — as a patient, survivor, or caregiver — practical tips, strategies, and advice were shared at the 2022 MRA Melanoma Exchange Patient and Advocate Forum. Speakers at the Forum discussed what types of providers to seek, how to find information about your disease, how to advocate...
Recordings from MRA's 2023 Patient Forum
16 March 2023 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
MRA’s 2023 Patient Forum brought together melanoma patients, survivors, advocates, and their loved ones to provide lay-friendly, state-of-the-science education and promote collaboration.
Facing Mucosal Melanoma, this Patient Turned to a TIL Clinical Trial
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 27 February 2023 In Melanoma Stories
In July of 2018, after a string of false starts and dead ends, Chris White was finally diagnosed with mucosal melanoma, a rare subtype of melanoma that forms on ‘wet tissues’ in the body. Mucosal melanoma accounts for about 1% of all melanoma diagnosis and can affect the nasal cavity,...