9.1 Introduction

What is Cancer?

Defined by the uncontrolled division of cells, cancer is a disease that results in the growth of a mass(What is Cancer?). If cells from this mass spread to other parts of the body, the cancer will continue to grow there known as a metastatic cancer. The uncontrolled growth of cancer is usually initiated by a mutation of the host cell. Due to the fact that the cancer cell is derived from a host cell, the immune system is not able to identify it as a foreign cell.  Various different mutations in a variety of genes can increase one’s likelihood of developing cancer. Additionally, external factors such as carcinogens and environmental exposure can increase one’s chances of getting cancer. Furthermore, for this reason it is not only hard for the immune system to attack cancers, but it can also easily go unnoticed making it hard to find a specific target for treatment.

Cancer is a disease which many of us have come in close contact with. Whether it be a family member, a friend or even yourself, cancer is an incredibly common disease. 1 of 2 Canadians will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 4 Canadians will die from cancer (Smith,2018). It is the leading cause of death in Canada, and accounts for about 30% of deaths. With such high prevalence of cancer, and no current cure, finding techniques to identify cancer early in its progression will aid in better treatment plans and higher number of patients going into remission.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer, and is the 5th and 6th most common cancer in males and females respectively (What is Melanoma, 2018). It can be caused by excessive exposure to sunlight, and is a cancer of the pigment producing cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes are derived from the neural crest lineage, during embryogenesis. Melanomas usually begin as a benign nevi, birthmark or mole, and in certain conditions can become malignant. If the cancer is detected early and removed by surgical excision then the 5 year survival rate is said to be 98.2% Thus, finding early detection methods of melanoma can lead to early treatment resulting in a greater chance of survival.