April 2nd 2024
Jonathan Zager, MD, spoke about the use of observation vs systemic immunotherapy to treat patients with stage IIIA and IIIB melanoma.
Equalizing Inequities™ in Multiple Myeloma Care: Shining a Light on Current Barriers and Opportunities for Improved Outcomes
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Show Me Your Care Plan™: Nursing Considerations for Applying the Latest Approaches Across Care Settings in Melanoma
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Medical Crossfire®: Where Are We in the World of ADCs? From HER2 to CEACAM5, TROP2, HER3, CDH6, B7H3, c-MET and Beyond!
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Community Oncology Connections™: Overcoming Barriers to Testing, Trial Access, and Equitable Care in Cancer
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Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy Advances Into Melanoma
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Community Practice Connections™: 5th Annual Precision Medicine Symposium – An Illustrated Tumor Board
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MEK1 Mutation Does Not Cause BRAF Inhibitor Resistance in BRAF-Mutated Melanoma
April 16th 2012The presence of a mutation in the MEK1 gene in melanoma patients does not cause resistance to BRAF inhibitor therapy in patients that also carry a BRAF mutation, according to a new study. Previously, experts believed that resistance to the drugs in BRAF-mutated melanoma patients could likely be blamed on the concurrent mutation in MEK1.
Study Shows Big Increase in Young Adult Melanoma Incidence Since 1970
April 16th 2012Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, found an eight-fold increase in melanoma incidence among young women between 1970 and 2009 in an epidemiological study. The increase was not as striking among young men, but there was still a four-fold jump in melanoma cases over those four decades.
Ipilimumab Shows Activity in Metastatic Melanoma Patients With Brain Metastases
April 11th 2012A study published last month shows that the melanoma drug ipilimumab has activity in melanoma patients whose cancer has spread to the brain. Long-term survival of melanoma patients with brain metastases was comparable to survival of metastatic melanoma patients without brain metastases.
High-Dose of Vitamin A May Decrease Melanoma Risk
March 2nd 2012A study published this week shows that taking retinol, a form of vitamin A, results in a decrease in the risk of developing melanoma. The effect is limited to those who took vitamin A in excess of standard multivitamin guidelines and was more pronounced in women than in men.
Vismodegib Granted FDA Approval for Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma
February 1st 2012The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of vismodegib (Erivedge), for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, for patients who are not eligible for surgery or radiation, and for metastatic disease.
Why BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Cancers Don't Respond to BRAF Inhibitors
January 30th 2012Metastatic melanomas that harbor the V600E mutation in the BRAF gene respond rapidly to vemurafenib (Zelboraf), the BRAF V600E inhibitor. But While vemurafenib results in a response in about 80% of melanoma patients, the clinical response among CRC patients is not greater than 5%.
How the Melanoma Treatment Vemurafenib Causes Growth of Secondary Skin Tumors
January 21st 2012In a rare case where the side effect of a cancer treatment can be explained through molecular studies, researchers have identified the reason behind the frequent skin lesion side effect among metastatic melanoma patients that take the newly approved drug vemurafenib.
Estrogen May Play Role in Melanoma Recurrence
January 11th 2012A large cohort study shows that women on antiestrogen therapy have a lower risk of melanoma. In a study of 7360 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1980 and 2005, 54% were given supplemental antiestrogen therapy. The rate of cutaneous melanoma was 60% higher for those women not taking antiestrogen supplements compared with the expected rate of melanoma incidence based on age and other factors.
In-Transit Melanoma: An Individualized Approach
The management of in-transit metastases is challenging, since the treatments and extent of disease vary greatly based on the number, depth, location, and distribution of lesions, and on their biological behavior.
The Year in Oncology: Breakthroughs and Controversies
December 15th 2011The past year in oncology was highlighted by the continuation of breakthroughs in targeted therapies-with new treatments receiving US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lymphoma, and melanoma.
Individualized Local Treatment Strategies for In-Transit Melanoma
December 15th 2011For localized in-transit disease, less is more, with local destruction, excision, and intralesional therapy being the cornerstones of treatment. If local therapies fail or if distant disease arises, isolated limb perfusion and systemic therapy remain effective options.
Melanoma International Congress: Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Combinations Touted
November 22nd 2011Immunotherapy is finally getting the cancer clinical and research community excited: A large portion of the presentation and discussion at the Melanoma International Congress, held in Tampa, Florida last week focused on immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of the disease.
Hepatic Metastasectomy for Breast Cancer and Melanoma: Trends in Highly Selected Patients
November 15th 2011Hepatic metastases remain a lethal and recalcitrant problem in the management of malignant disease, and the review by Drs. Zani and Clary of the role of hepatic metastasectomy for patients with stage IV melanoma or breast cancer is timely and welcome.
Updates From the Melanoma International Congress: Targeted Therapy Trials in Metastatic Melanoma
November 14th 2011With positive read-outs from trials over the last two years and approval of two new agents for the disease, Yervoy and Zelboraf, the field is already looking to new agents and combination trials to improve patient outcomes and survival.
FDA Approves Vemurafenib for Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma
August 19th 2011The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved vemurafenib (Zelboraf) for the treatment of metastatic or unresectable melanoma. The new drug, also known as PLX4032, specifically targets patients whose tumors express the BRAF V600E gene mutation.
ASCO: Impact of 2 New Drugs for the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma
August 19th 2011Dr. Antoni Ribas, UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and a presenter at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, discusses the impact of 2 new drugs- ipilimumab (Yervoy) and vemurafenib (Zelboraf)-for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
Role for PTEN in DNA Damage Removal and Prevention of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
July 28th 2011Using in vitro techniques and mouse models, scientists at the University of Chicago Department of Medicine and colleagues have demonstrated that downregulation of PTEN in epidermal keratinocytes predisposes skin to ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced tumorigenesis.
ASCO 2011: New Hope for Metastatic Melanoma
June 6th 2011Metastatic melanoma maintains a growing presence around the world, and a steady disregard for treatment efforts. But two novel drugs presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, on Sunday, suggest that medicine might finally be ready to fight back against the deadliest form of skin cancer.