Drug effects on melanoma

Koomen, E.R. (2010)

Doctoral Thesis

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and its incidence among Caucasian populations has increased whereas mortality rates are stabilizing or decreasing. The total burden of melanoma is expected to be increasing. As effective treatment options for advanced melanoma are lacking, melanoma prevention may be the key issue in melanoma disease control. Although sun protection programs have increased awareness, they have not resulted in a decreased melanoma incidence. In addition, most melanoma risk factors are not amenable. Alternative approaches such as cancer chemoprevention are, therefore, important research topics. Several agents, such as statins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, have been claimed to have chemopreventive properties. However, it is unknown which of these have the best potential to be useful. This thesis presents: - epidemiologic cancer registry-based studies from The Netherlands on the epidemiology of extracutaneous melanoma and on the burden of disease due to cutaneous melanoma - a qualitative review discussing candidate drugs for melanoma chemoprevention, their possible mechanisms of action, and evidence for their chemopreventive efficacy, safety and tolerability - pharmacoepidemiological studies testing hypotheses on chemopreventive activityof several drugs on melanoma - pharmacoepidemiological studies on the association between estrogen use and melanoma.

• Melanoma
• Chemoprevention
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Drugs
• Statins
• Estrogens
• NSAIDs
• ACE inhibitors
• Angiotensin
• Receptor blockers

• All authors: Koomen, E.R.
• Supervisor: Guchelaar, H.J.
• Co-supervisor: Nijsten, T.E.C.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University
• Date: 2010-09-15
• ISBN (print): 9789090254548