Wearable patch for melanoma patients: Apply the ABCDE rule to see if you have skin cancer

Purdue University innovators in the US have created a novel wearable patch that can improve treatment for people with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. The wearable patch comes with fully miniaturized nano needles that can enhance drug delivery through the skin for the management of melanoma.

According to the researchers, the silicon nano needles are biocompatible and dissolvable in tissue fluids and can be completely resorbed in the body over months in a harmless manner. Also, these nano needles allow delivery of the chemotherapeutic drugs to target melanoma sites in a sustainable manner, they claimed.

The nano needles are built on a thin, flexible and water-soluble medical film that dissolves completely within a minute. After that, the silicon needles will gradually dissolve inside the tissues within several months. This wearable patch may lead to a less painful and more effective treatment of skin cancers.

Conventional melanoma therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, often cause toxicity and side effects of repeated treatments due to the aggressive and recurrent nature of melanoma cells. With this wearable patch, melanoma patients may not have to go through those painful therapies. The gradual slow dissolution of the silicon nanoneedles allows for long-lasting and sustainable delivery of cancer therapeutics, the researchers stated. The study was published in the journal ACS Nano.

The researchers are now looking for partners to continue developing their technology.

Melanoma: Things you should know

Melanoma develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. This form of cancer typically occurs in the skin, but in rare cases it also appears in the mouth, intestines or eye (uveal melanoma).

In women, melanomas develop most commonly on the legs, whereas most men have this type of skin cancer on the back. Watch out your moles, as it is estimated that about 25% of melanomas develop from moles. If you notice changes in a mole such as an increase in size, irregular edges, change in colour, itchiness or skin breakdown, see a doctor. These are possible signs of melanoma.

Ultraviolet light (UV) exposure is the primary cause of melanoma, especially in those with low levels of the skin pigment melanin. The source of the UV light may be the sun or tanning devices. People who are at high risk of having melanoma include those with many moles, a history of affected family members and poor immune function. Use of sunscreen and avoiding UV light is the best way to prevent melanoma.

ABCDE method of detecting skin cancer

The ABCDE method is believed to be highly effective in identifying melanoma. So, always remember this rule to detect the signs of melanoma early. Here’s how to use the ABCDE rule to determine if a mole or freckle is cancerous or not.

Asymmetrical: Cancerous ones are asymmetrical. Draw a line through the middle of your mole and check if there is any asymmetry.
Border: See whether the border of your mole is ragged, raised or notched. If it’s so, it could be a melanoma.
Change in colour: Healthy freckles and moles have uniform colour. Any variation in the colour may be because of cancer. Watch out for different shades of tan, red, brown, blue, white and black.
Diameter: A mole that is bigger than 6 millimetres may be cancerous.
Evolving: Check if there’s any new moles and marks on your body. Also, beware of any changes in the colour or size of existing moles.