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An estimated 15% of people who are diagnosed with malignant melanoma will experience a recurrence, meaning that their cancer will return after treatment. Unfortunately, the long-term survival rate significantly drops in people whose cancer is reccurent. Over the years, doctors and researchers have been working on ways to develop more effective treatment options. Could an experimental preventative mRNA vaccine be the answer?

According to reporting by Linda Carroll and Reynolds Lewis of NBC News, a preventative vaccine has already been explored in a Phase 2 clinical study. 157 individuals with melanoma enrolled. Although all patients had undergone surgical resection, they were considered “high-risk” for their cancer to come back. During the trial, participants were split into two cohorts. The first received just Keytruda, an immunotherapy treatment, while the other received both Keytruda and the mRNA vaccine.

Keytruda first mobilized the immune system to attack cancer. For the mRNA vaccine, doctors personalize each vaccine to the specific patient. They do this by figuring out what proteins are found in that person’s tumor (but not throughout the rest of their body). Next, the doctors can craft the mRNA vaccine to directly target these proteins.

Overall, 22.4% (24 patients) receiving the combination treatment had their cancer recur, compared to 40% (20 patients) who just received Keytruda. Ultimately, share the researchers, this means that the addition of the mRNA vaccine helped reduce the risk of recurrence.

Moving towards the future, there is a planned Phase 3 study that will take place this year to further evaluate the mRNA vaccine. Results from this study may not be available for 1-2 years. However, the initial results do suggest that utilizing the mRNA vaccine could have significant implications for melanoma treatment.

What is Melanoma?

Melanoma is a severe form of skin cancer that forms in melanin-producing cells. This cancer often forms on parts of your skin that get a lot of sun/UV exposure: the arms, legs, shoulders, head, and neck. Although it can occur on people of various backgrounds, it is more commonly found in people with lighter skin. In people with darker skin, melanoma may appear in areas without a lot of sun exposure, such as under nails, in the urinary or digestive tracts, or in the mouth. Having a lot of moles, or having a family history of skin cancer, can also increase your risk.

So how can you tell what is a mole and what might be melanoma? Consider ABCDE. No, I’m not asking you to start the alphabet – but using these letters can help you to identify melanoma. If your mole is an assymetrical shape, that is a warning sign. Moles with irregular borders or changes in color can also signify melanoma growth. Typically, moles are smaller than 1/4 inch (a pencil eraser). So if the diameter is bigger, you may want to get it checked out. Finally, moles evolve over time. If you’re noticing a mole that seems bigger, itchier, or is bleeding, consider getting it checked out.

There are treatments available for melanoma, including targeted therapy, biologics, chemotherapy and radiation, and surgery. If you have melanoma, talk with your doctor to see what line of treatment is best.