Melanoma

I invested in shares of MELA last year on its promising MelaFind technology to detect melanomas with 98% accuracy, way above the expected 60 - 70% accuracy by expert dermatologists. I took profits in MELA despite my continued optimism for MelaFind's eventual approval. The commercialization roll out plan wasn't clear to me, and in fact, the PDUFA date was delayed until November 18, 2010. MELA shares may rise in anticipation of FDA approval.

In a related peer-reviewed article, a surprising trend for melanoma was revealed.

http://www.onenewspage.com/news/Health/20100827/14464544/Health-and-melanoma-cancer-using-MelaFind.htm

According to the New England Journal of Medicine published Wednesday August 25th 2010, 68,000 are diagnosed with melanoma each year. While it was believed that whites with the fairest skin and blue eyes were most at risk the number are 4.5% of whites, 8% of Latinos, and 15% of African Americans. Now the good news is that an experimental tool named MelaFind is like the same outer space recognition tool that is used in outer space. Dermatologists claim that while they find melanomas two thirds of the time MelaFind finds melanomas 98% of the time, and compares it to other melanomas both...

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Disclosure: no position in MELA. A family member still has a position in MELA.

MelaFind

Watch this video on the benefits of early melanoma detection, and how Electro-Optical Sciences (symbol "MELA") is attacking the problem with MelaFind:

Electro-Optical Sciences, Joseph V. Gulfo, President & CEO at OneMedTV.

Melanoma Monday

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ElectroOptical-Sciences-to-iw-15090912.html

My former girlfriend is a 10-year survivor of melanoma, so this Monday will have a special place in my heart. MelaFind is not only a worthy investment, but it is a life saver. It detects melanoma (both positive and negative readings) better than the best dermatologists in the world.

In fact, her dermatologist assured her that her mole was benign, but upon her exit, he noticed she was uneasy with the prognosis. He ordered a biopsy so "she could sleep at night." The biopsy revealed stage 2/stage 3 melanoma, and she was scheduled for surgery the next day. As the CEO of Electro Optical Science was quoted, "With melanoma, the paranoid survive".

A big shout out to Lisa C on her 10-year anniversary! And may you have many more 10-year anniversaries.