Twenty-four-year-old Na Lan (not her real name) from Suzhou would not expect a pustule on her skull would sentence her to death within 10 months.

Earlier this year when she discovered the pustule - a small, inflamed, pus-filled, blister-like lesion - that caused no discomfort, she paid no attention to it.

The lesion soon developed into the size of a small egg was diagnosed as melanoma, the most fatal skin cancer, and doctors were helpless.

On Sunday, to better understand the character of Asian melanoma patients and provide better treatment, top Asian melanoma specialists established the Asia Melanoma Group.

Its establishment was announced at a meeting discussing the Current Status and Future Perspective of Melanoma Management in Asia in Beijing. The new group consists of 17 leading melanoma experts from countries including China, Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong.

"Given Asian patients' differences in genetic background and disease types to Europeans, it is high time Asian experts stand together to form a group that will break down barriers in research on melanoma," said Guo Jun, deputy director of the Beijing Cancer Hospital and head of the newly-established group.

The incidence of melanoma is higher among white people than Asians but Asian people have a much higher probability of mucous melanoma than Caucasians, which usually has a poorer prognosis than melanoma on the skin, Guo explained.

In China, 22 percent of melanoma cases occurred on mucous membranes, in contrast to a 5 percent chance among Western patients, according to Guo's research.

Despite the incidence of melanoma being only 12 cases per million in China, the increasing tendency shows morbidity in 2009 was five times that in 2001.

"The reason may be that people's awareness to melanoma has increased in the past decade. In the past, even some doctors knew little about melanoma.

"The Chinese have some achievements in melanoma research in recent years, but there are still problems such as lack of fundamental research and clinical criteria. As a result, we hope to work together on setting norms for individualized diagnosis and treatment in Asia via establishing the group," Guo said.