Melanoma is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, killing over 10,000 Americans every year. However, in melanoma's earliest stages, nearly all patients survive. Because of this discrepancy, this study aimed to look at possible environmental factors that induce melanoma metastasis in its most crucial, early stages when it can be most successfully treated. In order for melanoma to spread to other organs, it gains access to vasculature, such as blood and lymphatic vessels, in a process called angiogenesis. This study identified Bartonella, a pathogen most known for causing cat-scratch disease, as a possible promoter of melanoma metastasis. Through angiogenesis, Bartonella up-regulates the formation of blood and lymph vessels. This study hypothesized
