Cutaneous malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive types of tumors, accounts for 75 percent of deaths due to cancer, and its incidence is on the rise worldwide (1, 2). In North America, it has become the most prevalent form of cancer for the demographic aged 25 to 29 (3). When detected early, surgical excision of the primary site is the standard of care. However, metastatic melanoma, wherein the tumor cells detach from the primary growth and disseminate to distant organs, is notoriously resistant to conventional radiation, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy (3).
Even after surgical removal, recurrence is a distinct possibility, and therapies employed by the biomedical paradigm have limited success (4). Commonly employed treatments include the DNA alkylating chemotherapeutic agent dacarbazine, which has response rates of 10 percent to 26 percent, most of which are partial and accompanied by side effects including anemia, nausea, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia (5). More selective therapies, such as BRAF inhibitors, targeted for the small percentage of advanced melanoma patients with a genetic BRAF V600 mutation, are associated with widespread resistance and the development of other cancers, including keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma (6).
