Not an Old Person’s Disease

1. What are some differences between Judy and Mariah that might make Judy more "at risk" for skin cancer than Mariah?

Some differences between Judy and Mariah that might make Judy more “at risk” to skin cancer than Mariah is the fact that Judy has red hair and fair skin while Mariah has black hair. It has long been known that people with red hair, Judy, are 10 to 100 times more vulnerable than people with other colored hair like Mariah to develop melanoma.11 A large contribution to skin/hair color comes from melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. MC1R gene produces MC1R proteins that are found on the surface of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.11 MC1R plays a role in pigmentation and protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.11 If the MC1R receptor is activated then several chemical reactions occur within the melanocytes producing a pigment called eumelanin.11 Those that produce a substantial amount of this pigment tend to have darker hair and UV protection, like Mariah. Redheads on the other hand carry natural variants of MC1R gene (MC1R-RHC).11 The variants produce a different skin pigment called pheomelanin which doesn’t allow the skin to tan that well and doesn’t protect the skin from DNA damage due to UV radiation.11 After being exposed to light, typically the hormone a-MSH is produced and binds to MC1R.11 The complex binds to PTEN, a tumor suppressor protein.11 Although, those with the MC1R-RHC variant (redheads) can’t bind to PTEN due to a mutant MC1R protein.11 Therefore, PTEN is degraded and cells then grow and divide more quickly than normal.11

2. What observations did Judy make concerning her mole?

The observations that Judy made concerning her mole on her calf include that; it was itchy (had been for several days), it was bigger than she remembered, the edges of the mole were jagged, one edge was darker than the other, and there was a raised purplish/blackish dot in the middle.

3. Describe the different types of skin cancer, and...