Is Cancer Reversible?

Melanoma is a very dangerous form of skin cancer and the numbers of people diagnosed with melanoma are increasing.  Researchers from Harvard Medical School have found that methyl groups known as 5-hmC are present in healthy skin and mole cells but are absent in cells damaged by melanoma.  Melanoma growth was reversed when enzymes responsible for 5-hmC were introduced to cells with melanoma.  This is especially important because cancer has been traditionally thought of as causing permanent defects and if melanoma can be reversed epigenetically, maybe other types of cancers can be as well. 

I found this article interesting because in 2011 I was diagnosed with skin cancer.  I luckily did not have melanoma but several of my family members have and after seeing what detrimental effects it can have on a person. I am optimistic after reading this article and hope that this cancer can be stopped or even reversed and that these techniques can be applied to other types of cancer as well, or even other diseases. 

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/09/skin-cancer-detection-breakthrough/