Released on: October 10, 2007, 7:59 pm

Press Release Author: Society for Melanoma Research

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: Study findings may mean new hope in treating deadly advanced
melanomas.

Press Release Body: WHAT:
New understanding behind the causes of melanoma is starting to yield exciting and
promising new pathways to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. To
support this growing research momentum, the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) will
host its 4th International Congress, which will feature:
. researchers from 38 different countries,
. 35 plenary sessions and mini-symposia, and
. approximately 160 poster sessions

The quantity of research being presented and the number of registered participants
is unprecedented and signals a turning tide in melanoma research.

WHY:
Melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer and the number of people being
diagnosed with and dying from melanoma has risen consistently in the last several
decades. The disease exacts a terrible toll on human life, ranking just behind
childhood leukemia in terms of years of life lost. Melanoma, caught early, is one of
the easiest cancers to treat, but melanoma caught late is one of the most
intractable. Finding new therapies is critical because conventional therapies often
have limited success in treating patients with advanced melanoma.

With expanding knowledge of the genetics behind melanoma, researchers expect to see
a growing number of novel therapies in clinical trials to treat melanoma. In
addition to gene-based therapies, novel classes of chemotherapy, immunotherapy,
anti-angiogenesis agents, and small molecules are giving researchers new pathways to
explore. The purpose of the Congress is to provide a forum to discuss these new
approaches.

WHO:
Available for interview are:
. Ze'ev Ronai, Ph.D., Program Director and Professor, Burnham Institute
. David Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Melanoma Program, Dana Farber Cancer
Institute
. Lynn Schuchter, M.D., President, Melanoma Research Foundation Scientific
Advisory Board
. Paul Chapman, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
. Meenhard Herlyn D.V.M., D.Sc., Professor and Program Leader, Molecular and
Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Wistar Institute
. Randy Lomax, Chair, Melanoma Research Foundation

WHEN:
Thursday, November 1 - Sunday, November 4, 2007

WHERE:
New York Marriott Financial Center,
85 West Street
New York, NY 10006

CONTACT:
The registration fee is waived for working media. A press room will be provided
onsite.

Please contact Berna Diehl at 703-966-3602 or berna@jonespa.com to register for the
medical meeting or for additional information.

Web Site: http://www.melanomacongress07.net

Contact Details: Berna Diehl at 703-966-3602 or berna@jonespa.com