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Experts find gene trigger for deadly skin cancer
"Our study shows that the genetic damage of BRAF is the first step in skin cancer development,"
- lead author Richard Marais
Up to 70 percent of melanoma skin cancers may be triggered by a gene mutation that causes cells to become cancerous after excessive exposure to the sun, researchers said on Monday.
The discovery could lead to better treatments for the most deadly form of skin cancer after scientists at Britain's Institute of Cancer Research established the BRAF gene mutation is often the first event in the cascade of genetic changes leading to melanoma.