By Marc Hulbert | Chief Executive Officer
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) and our collaborators at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals in Boston and Providence, and at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), have assembled the largest-ever case-control cohorts for acral (N=1,200), mucosal (N=520), and uveal melanomas (N=2,010). Comparing features of patients with rare melanoma compared to cutaneous melanoma or ‘no-cancer’ control cases, we have identified several factors associated with risk or protection for each rare melanoma subtype. Importantly, among Veterans, we have found an association among Agent Orange exposure increased risk for acral melanoma and this work was published in the prestigious journal, JAMA Dermatology, in February 2025. The team has submitted manuscripts on uveal and mucosal melanomas, and we await the outcome of editorial review. The final remaining work – looking at any risk associated with inherited genes – has taken longer than anticipated; the Department of Defense has granted us a second 1-year no cost extension to complete the work by September 2026.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
