The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma is rising faster than any other cancer in the US. 1 in 74 Americans will develop melanoma, more than 45,000 cases will be diagnosed, and more than 7,500 Americans will die from melanoma this year. Effective prevention of melanoma will not only save lives, but will also decrease the estimated one billion dollars spent annually treating melanoma in the US. There is currently no recognized chemoprevention for melanoma. Two large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, the VA-HIT Study utilizing gemfibrozil, and the AFCAPS Study utilizing lovastatin, have each reported an association of lipid-lowering medication therapy with statistically significant lower melanoma incidence rates. Lovastatin inhibits melanoma cell growth in tissue culture, and mice Jed lovastatin develop lower lung metastases following tail vein injection with mouse B16 melanoma cells. More recently low concentrations of atorvastatin have been reported to specifically induce apoptosis and inhibit migration of human A375 melanoma cells but not cultured melanocytes. To investigate the unconventional hypothesis that lipid-lowering medications might prevent melanoma, a case-control study will be conducted utilizing Veterans Administration (VA) databases to answer the following question: Do persons who have developed cutaneous malignant melanoma have a history of less lipid-lowering medication exposure than persons who are spared the disease? The answer to this question will help determine whether more expensive and labor intensive randomized prospective clinical trials of potentially teratogenic lipid-lowering medications should be initiated in persons at high risk of developing melanoma. Robert Dellavalle, MD, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and a staff dermatologist at the Denver VA medical center He is committed to a career in academic dermatology and public health. His current career goals are completing a Masters of Science in Public Health and becoming an independent researcher in skin cancer prevention and control.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Academic/Teacher Award (ATA) (K07)
Project #
1K07CA092550-01A1
Application #
6478671
Study Section
Subcommittee G - Education (NCI)
Program Officer
Gorelic, Lester S
Project Start
2002-06-01
Project End
2007-05-31
Budget Start
2002-06-01
Budget End
2003-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$136,080
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Colorado Denver
Department
Dermatology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
065391526
City
Aurora
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80045
Sauaia, Angela; Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) Health care inequities: an introduction for dermatology providers. Dermatol Clin 27:103-7, v
Vance, Karl; Howe, William; Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) Social internet sites as a source of public health information. Dermatol Clin 27:133-6, vi
Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) Dermatologic epidemiology and public health. Preface. Dermatol Clin 27:xi-xii
Schilling, Lisa M; Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) Dealing with unanticipated mortality in a large randomized clinical trial of topical tretinoin. Arch Dermatol 145:76
Sivamani, Raja K; Crane, Lori A; Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) The benefits and risks of ultraviolet tanning and its alternatives: the role of prudent sun exposure. Dermatol Clin 27:149-54, vi
Hoch, Heather E; Busse, Kristine L; Dellavalle, Robert P (2009) Consumer empowerment in dermatology. Dermatol Clin 27:177-83, vii
Freeman, Scott R; Nelson, Cheryl; Lundahl, Kristy et al. (2008) Similar deficiencies in procedural dermatology and dermatopathology fellow evaluation despite different periods of ACGME accreditation: results of a national survey. Dermatol Surg 34:873-6;discussion 876-7
Freeman, Scott R; Greene, Riley E; Kimball, Alexa B et al. (2008) US dermatology residents'satisfaction with training and mentoring: survey results from the 2005 and 2006 Las Vegas Dermatology Seminars. Arch Dermatol 144:896-900
Ramagosa, Ryan; de Villiers, Ethel-Michele; Fitzpatrick, James E et al. (2008) Human papillomavirus infection and ultraviolet light exposure as epidermoid inclusion cyst risk factors in a patient with epidermodysplasia verruciformis? J Am Acad Dermatol 58:S68.e1-6
Freeman, Scott R; Lundahl, Kristy; Schilling, Lisa M et al. (2008) Human research review committee requirements in medical journals. Clin Invest Med 31:E49-54

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