Melanoma Research Foundation

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from the MRF! ✨🎉 Here’s to a 2026 filled with hope, progress and brighter outcomes for the melanoma community. Thank you for standing with us—your support truly makes a difference.

12/31/2025

As we welcome the New Year, let’s commit to resolutions that truly make a difference in the melanoma community. Together, we can raise awareness, prioritize prevention and support those affected by melanoma and its rare subtypes, helping build a brighter and more sun-safe future for all.

Explore our curated list of meaningful resolutions and challenge yourself to adopt one (or several!) to start 2026 with purpose.

Share in the comments which resolutions you’ve chosen — we’d love to see how you plan to make an impact this year! https://buff.ly/GppulhQ

12/30/2025

Big news for firefighter health in Maryland!

Starting January 1, the James “Jimmy” Malone Act goes into effect, requiring counties with self-insured health plans to provide free preventive cancer screenings for career firefighters, including skin cancer screenings. Named in honor of Baltimore County firefighter and state delegate Jimmy Malone, who lost his life to cancer, this law recognizes the increased cancer risks firefighters face due to toxic exposures on the job and reinforces the lifesaving power of early detection and prevention. The act also calls for a statewide study on firefighter cancer prevention by 2028.

Read the full article to learn more about this important step forward for first responder health:

  MARYLAND. — On Jan. 1, the James “Jimmy” Malone Act will go into effect in Maryland, requiring counties to provide free cancer screenings to professional firefighters. Senate Bill 374, cross-filed with House Bill 459, will require counties that offer self-insured employee health care plans ...

12/30/2025

In 2026, you have a unique opportunity to fund and name a research grant in honor or in memory of someone meaningful to you.

Our 2026 Medical Student Research Grant applications are currently under review, with additional grant programs on the way. These one-year, $3,000 grants empower the next generation of melanoma researchers by supporting early-career clinical and laboratory projects that can spark future breakthroughs.

Your investment in research drives innovation, accelerates progress and brings us closer to lifesaving discoveries. To learn more about sponsoring a named research grant, please contact our Director of Philanthropy, Dave Wiemer at dwiemer@melanoma.org. Opportunities are limited — don’t miss your chance to make a lasting impact: https://buff.ly/58aZSyA

12/30/2025

As the new year approaches, it can bring up many emotions for melanoma patients and caregivers. While this time is often framed around fresh starts and big resolutions, it can also feel heavy, uncertain or overwhelming, especially when navigating a melanoma diagnosis or supporting a loved one through treatment. There is no right way to feel and no need to have everything figured out.

The MRF is here to support you as you move into the new year, one day at a time. Our trusted resources remain available to help you stay centered, informed and supported as you make decisions that feel right for you:

Ask a Nurse for reliable, one-on-one guidance from the MRF’s staff nurse when questions arise: https://buff.ly/Y6Dp3EI

MRF Patient Forum to connect with others who understand the realities of the melanoma journey: https://buff.ly/JmQSdgV

Clinical Trial Finder to explore treatment and research options at your own pace and on your own terms: https://buff.ly/GKtl3yl

Whether you are seeking answers, reassurance or connection, these resources are here to support you without pressure or expectation, helping you feel equipped and empowered entering the new year.

We are here with you from the very beginning, through every question, every decision and every step forward.

12/29/2025

As we wrap up 2025, we want to extend our deepest thanks to our incredible Miles for Melanoma community. With more than 7,310 registered participants across 17 cities, supported by 414 teams, 79 local sponsors and 6 national sponsors, you came together to raise over $1.36 million in support of the melanoma community. Your passion, dedication and commitment are driving real progress in research, education and advocacy.

And the season is not over yet. We still have two exciting Miles for Melanoma events ahead in February: Miami, FL on February 8 and Orange County, CA on February 22. Register today and be part of the momentum as we continue to move closer to a future without melanoma: https://buff.ly/jO32BdP

12/26/2025

As we wrap up 2025, we’re honored to highlight the powerful story of acral melanoma patient Terry Tucker, one of our Denver Gala Courage Awardees. Terry’s journey with acral melanoma — a rare form of skin cancer that appears on the hands, feet or under the nails and accounts for nearly half of all melanomas in these areas — underscores just how critical awareness and early detection truly are. Affecting people of all skin tones and often overlooked until it has progressed, this subtype reminds us how urgently research and education are needed.

Together, we can help save lives by elevating understanding of the lesser-known signs of melanoma, encouraging timely medical care and supporting the research that leads to earlier diagnoses and better outcomes. And right now, your support can have twice the impact. Thanks to two generous donors, every gift made this holiday season will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $35,000 — doubling your impact when it matters most.

Listen to Terry’s powerful story, make a gift and consider sharing your own journey to inspire others this holiday season. Let’s stand together to create meaningful progress for everyone affected by acral melanoma: https://buff.ly/HIvW5wE

12/25/2025

Happy Holidays from all of us at the MRF! 🎄✨ Wishing you a season filled with warmth, love and hope, and thank you for being part of the melanoma community we are so honored to serve.

We also recognize that the holidays can bring a mix of emotions, especially for patients and caregivers navigating melanoma, or for those who may have lost a loved one to this disease. If this season feels overwhelming or isolating, please know you are not alone. The MRF is here for you with trusted resources to offer guidance, connection and support, including Ask a Nurse for one-on-one medical guidance, our Patient Forum to connect with others who understand and our Clinical Trial Finder to explore treatment options. Whatever you’re feeling this season, we are holding space for you and walking alongside you every step of the way. https://buff.ly/MSMru3z

12/25/2025

This , we’re recognizing D**g Ren, MD, PhD, recipient of the 2025 MRF Resident/Fellow Award at The Regents of the University of California, Irvine, his research is funded in honor of Richard Draeger.

Dr. Ren shares more about his work, "Molecular Investigation of Metastatic Sinonasal Mucosal Melanoma":

Sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) is a rare primary malignancy with aggressive clinical behavior, affecting the sinonasal tract. The overall incidence of SNMM has been estimated at 0.5 to 0.71/million people per year, accounting for < 2% of all malignant melanomas and approximately 4% of head and neck melanomas. It is commonly seen in elderly patients, ranging from 13 to 93 years of age, with a median age of 66 years, and shows a slight female predilection. Since SNMM patients are often diagnosed at an advanced stage and exhibits aggressive clinical behavior, the prognosis is extremely poor, with a recurrence rate of over 50% and a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%. Wide surgical excision with negative margins is generally considered the first-line treatment for SNMM patients, with postoperative radiation therapy often used to improve locoregional control. Despite the increasing availability of systemic therapy strategies for the treatment of SNMM patients, they have demonstrated little or no survival benefit. Distant metastases, most commonly involving the lungs, brain, bones, liver, and lymph nodes, significantly contribute to the mortality of SNMM patients, with liver being the most common metastatic site. The 5-year overall survival rate for SNMM patients with lymph node metastasis was 5.3%, compared to 35.2% for patients without lymph node metastasis. Notably, SNMM presents with a high metastatic potential, ranging from 12% to 66%. Given the high metastatic rate of SNMM and its dismal prognosis, it is of paramount importance to investigate potential diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of SNMM with distant metastasis (SNMM-M) and identify therapeutic targets for individualized treatment. Using both DNA and RNA next-generation sequencing, we discovered that SNMM-M harbors unique molecular profiles: structure-specific endonuclease subunit (SLX4) was only detected in SNMM-M. A comparative analysis of genomic alterations and copy number variations of clinically actionable genes between SNMM-M and SNMM without distant metastasis (SNMM-nM) revealed that CDK4 gains/amplifications that can be targeted by Palbociclib (a selective CDK4/6 inhibitor) were commonly seen in SNMM-M cases, while alterations of receptor tyrosine kinase gene targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and homologous recombination repair gene targeted by PARP inhibitors were highly enriched in SNMM-nM cases. Additionally, PD-L1 targeted by immune checkpoint inhibitor was more commonly expressed in SNMM-nM. These exploratory findings suggest that SLX4 mutation may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and that CDK4 inhibitors could represent promising therapeutic options for SNMM-M. In contrast, immunotherapy, TKIs and PARP inhibitors are appropriate therapeutic strategist for SNMM-nM patients.

Learn more here: https://buff.ly/u0SGvBm

12/23/2025

The holiday season can bring many emotions, especially for those navigating melanoma as a patient or caregiver or for those who may have lost a loved one to this horrific disease. While this time of year is often associated with celebration, it can also feel overwhelming, isolating or heavy for members of our community. We want you to know that you are not alone.

The MRF is here to support you through every season of the journey, including the holidays. Our trusted resources remain available to help you find answers, connection and reassurance when you need it most this week:

• Ask a Nurse for reliable, one-on-one guidance from the MRF staff nurse, Whitney Baylor, MSN, RN, AONN-CG: https://buff.ly/Y6Dp3EI
• MRF Patient Forum to connect with others who understand what you’re going through: https://buff.ly/JmQSdgV
• Clinical Trial Finder to explore treatment and research options with confidence: https://buff.ly/GKtl3yl

Whether you are seeking medical guidance, emotional support or a sense of community, these resources are here to help make this time of year feel a little more manageable and supported.

We are holding space for you this holiday season and throughout the year, honoring every emotion that comes up and walking alongside you every step of the way.

12/22/2025

While shopping for the perfect gift this holiday, please consider a gift that will impact the entire melanoma community! This season, we’re honoring the melanoma community by highlighting the real impact your generosity makes. Every gift – whether $50, $500 or $3,000+ – helps advance life-saving research, fuels critical education and strengthens advocacy that supports patients and families. Thanks to two generous donors, the first $35,000 raised will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your impact when it matters most. Together, let’s turn compassion into progress and hope into action: https://buff.ly/HIvW5wE

12/19/2025

“The SunAWARE™ curriculum and sun safety education in general has the potential to save lives and change the skin health of future generations.”
— Katie Labadia, Parent

Every child deserves the knowledge to stay safe under the sun and starting education young can make all the difference in life long health. Help make SunAWARE™ available to more classrooms by sharing our free, interactive program with your local school district or PTA.

Start here: https://buff.ly/mcVehH6