Rachael Morton

University of Sydney Australia

Dr. Rachael Morton is a research fellow in the School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney, Australia. She has post-graduate qualifications in clinical epidemiology, and health economics and was the clinical trials manager for the Melanoma Institute Australia (formerly Sydney Melanoma Unit) from 2004-2007. Rachael is an executive member of the Australia and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group (ANZMTG) and board member of the Melanoma Network. She has published on the role of sentinel node biopsy in melanoma treatment, the reproducibility of lymphoscintigraphy, and the value of diagnostic imaging in melanoma follow-up. She is a chief investigator for a randomized controlled trial into high dose vitamin D for patients at risk of melanoma recurrence, and associate investigator for a trial of whole brain radiotherapy following surgical resection of melanoma brain metastases. Rachael’s current melanoma research includes the evaluation of post treatment follow-up of stage I/II cutaneous melanoma from the perspective of clinicians and patients.

Rachael Morton

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Surgery continues to be the mainstay treatment for melanoma localized to the primary tumor and/or lymph nodes. Results from randomized controlled trials indicate that sentinel node biopsy for the treatment of cutaneous melanoma of intermediate thickness has a beneficial effect on recurrence rates, and adjuvant radiotherapy to regional lymph node fields following surgical resection reduces loco-regional recurrence in patients at high risk of relapse. Isolated limb perfusion, electrochemotherapy, and photodynamic therapy continue to be evaluated for treatment of stage IV disease. However, the greatest excitement in new treatment has been with targeted therapies for genetic mutations. In particular, the promising results of partial and complete tumor response in stage IV disease from early phase trials of the B-RAF kinase inhibitors. This book provides a contemporary insight into the therapeutic treatment options for patients with metastatic melanoma and is relevant to clinicians and researchers worldwide. In addition, an update on current clinical trials for melanoma treatment has been included, and two chapters have been reserved to discuss the treatment of oral and uveal melanoma.

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