INTERMEL

InterMEL is an international consortium to identify molecular features of stage II/III melanoma tumors associated with survival... Currently, patients are told of their prognosis when diagnosed based solely on their stage of their disease. However, the mortality rate for individuals diagnosed at stages II or III varies widely (13% to 68%), and scientists have little understanding about why some tumors are more aggressive than others. We believe that looking at different genetic features within tumor cells will help us identify which melanomas would be more likely to grow or come back. The identification of these tumor markers associated with mortality could help stratify patients into those with a good prognosis and those with a poor prognosis. This would dramatically improve clinical care and patient outcomes since identifying those with a poor prognosis may allow access to additional therapies that could prevent future melanoma recurrence and, importantly, those with a good..