Chapter Fifteen - Skin cancer biology and its biomarkers: Recent trends and prospective

Abstract

Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells mainly of two types: melanoma skin cancer which originates from epidermal melanocytes and nonmelanoma skin cancer which originates from epidermal keratinocytes. Different individuals possess different tendencies to develop skin cancer owing to their skin color. Melanin pigment plays protective roles against skin cancer; therefore, fair skin people are more prone to skin cancer development of skin cancer as compared to dark skin. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, and regardless of various technologies and treatment options available, the treatment of skin cancer is one of the greatest challenges. Melanoma is the utmost severe form of skin cancer which, if left untreated, leads to death of the individual. A number of attempts have been made worldwide to lower the risk of skin cancer and its early detection, but melanoma is still unpredictable. Moreover, there is not a single reliable biomarker available which helps in its detection during initial stages. Search for a reliable and potential biomarker is going on and is a promising area of research. The current review focus on documentation of the projected biomarkers correlated with detection and treatment of skin cancer which holds promise for discovery of novel biomarker. Potential of these biomarkers can be exploited for prevention and management of skin cancer as well as aids in development of advanced therapeutic strategies.