New diagnosis group for skin cancer in U-CAN and expansion of sample collection in the lymphoma group

A diagnosis group for skin cancer was recently established in U-CAN. This means that U-CAN is now active in 16 different diagnostic areas. In addition, the collection of samples from patients with lymphoma has been expanded through the inclusion of clinics in Västerås and Eskilstuna.

Skin cancer is one of the fastest-growing forms of cancer in Sweden. There are different types of skin cancer. Around 5,000 people in Sweden are diagnosed each year with malignant melanoma, which is the most severe type of skin cancer, and approximately 11,500 people are diagnosed with other serious types of skin cancer. Survival rates for those affected by malignant melanoma or other skin cancers have improved over time, but each year around 600 persons die, the majority of whom due to malignant melanoma. Research has contributed to improved lifestyle recommendations that reduce the risk of skin cancer, better diagnostic methods, and improved treatments for those diagnosed. Within U-CAN, the initial focus is on individuals being investigated for suspected malignant melanoma, from whom tissue and blood samples are collected for research. After the launch at the dermatology and oncology clinics at Uppsala University Hospital in the spring of 2025, the collection of research material within U-CAN will also begin at the hospital’s plastic surgery clinic in May 2026 in order to reach more persons in this group of patients.

Lymphoma has been a focus area within U-CAN since the project’s start in 2010. From spring 2025, patients with lymphoma at the hospitals in Västerås and Eskilstuna are also invited to participate in U-CAN. As a result, active collection of blood samples for U-CAN is now taking place at a total of six hospitals in central Sweden. In addition to enabling researchers to access samples from a larger group of patients across a wider geographical region, the expansion to more hospitals also makes it easier to collect follow-up samples from patients who attend follow-up visits at their local hospitals. All samples collected for research are stored in the local biobank at each participating hospital until they are used in a study.