Research. Educate. Advocate.

To support medical RESEARCH for finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma. To EDUCATE patients and physicians about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. To act as an ADVOCATE for the melanoma community to raise the awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma.

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The Facts

News, statistics and interesting sun and melanoma related facts!

Bob Marley & Melanoma

Many people don't know it, but legendary musician Bob Marley died, at age 36, of malignant melanoma.  His primary tumor was on his toe and discovered after a soccer injury.  While African Americans and Hispanics are less likely to develop melanoma, their mortality rates are much higher.  The two main reasons for the lowered survival rate: misdiagnosis and late detection.  Like in the case of Bob Marley, melanomas on dark skin often occur on feet, palms and nails. And because of the location of these moles, they are commonly misdiagnosed as plantar warts or talon noir (dark nail).  Having dark skin is like walking around everyday wearing an SPF of 7, which isn't enough to completely protect you from UV rays. It's important for everyone to be aware of any changes in moles or dark spots and see a dermatologist once a year for a full body check.  If you have dark skin, pay particular attention to the above mentioned areas.

Redheads and Melanoma

REDHEADS & MELANOMA If you're a redhead, you have an increased risk for melanoma even without UV exposure. It's that simple. Avoiding over exposure to UV rays - both indoor and out - is still crucial, but it's not the whole picture. Read more

Baby Blues

Sun protection is just as important for our eyes as our skin. A hat and sunglasses can go a long way toward preventing sun damage to the skin around the eyes and also to the eyes themselves. Read more

Teen Acne + Sun

Teenagers and the sun…at times it feels like a lost cause trying to get through to them about the risks! I get it. No teenager is happy with themselves - few are confident enough to embrace their natural skin tone or self-possessed enough to wear a sun-shirt when their friends are baking in a string bikini. Read more

FDA on SPF

Well, it's only taken the FDA thirty-three short years to require more clarification on sunscreen labels. So, are these new rulings gonna' actually help you? Yes and no. Here are the most relevant rulings which will be implemented by summer 2012... Read more