Skin Cancer & Melanoma

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Patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1 blocking antibody can now receive lifileucel after accelerated approval from the FDA.
Accelerated Approval Given to Lifileucel in Metastatic Melanoma

February 16th 2024

Patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma previously treated with a PD-1 blocking antibody can now receive lifileucel after accelerated approval from the FDA.

The DermaSensor device demonstrates a high rate of sensitivity in the detection of more than 200 types of skin cancers in a clinical study.
FDA Clears Non-Invasive AI Device for Skin Cancer Detection

January 18th 2024

Results from a long-term analysis of the phase 3 IMCgp100-202 trial indicate that tebentafusp results in better disease control and long-lasting responses in those with HLA-A*02:01–positive, previously untreated metastatic uveal melanoma.
Tebentafusp Continues to Demonstrate Benefit in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma

January 4th 2024

Individualized Neoantigen Therapy/Pembrolizumab Improves RFS in Melanoma
Individualized Neoantigen Therapy/Pembrolizumab Improves RFS in Melanoma

December 18th 2023

Treatment with mRNA-4157 plus pembrolizumab yields benefits in resected melanoma subgroups in the phase 2 KEYNOTE-942 trial, including those with BRAF-mutated tumors.
mRNA Vaccine/Pembrolizumab Significantly Improves RFS in Resected Melanoma

October 23rd 2023

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Management of Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma

October 1st 2004

The results of treatment for metastatic melanoma remain disappointing.Single-agent chemotherapy produces response rates ranging from8% to 15%, and combination chemotherapy, from 10% to 30%. However,these responses are usually not durable. Immunotherapy, particularlyhigh-dose interleukin (IL)-2 (Proleukin), has also shown a lowresponse rate of approximately 15%, although it is often long-lasting.In fact, a small but finite cure rate of about 5% has been reported withhigh-dose IL-2. Phase II studies of the combination of cisplatin-basedchemotherapy with IL-2 and interferon-alfa, referred to as biochemotherapy,have shown overall response rates ranging from 40% to60%, with durable complete remissions in approximately 8% to 10% ofpatients. Although the results of the phase II single-institution studieswere encouraging, phase III multicenter studies have reported conflictingresults, which overall have been predominantly negative. Variousfactors probably explain these discrepancies including differentbiochemotherapy regimens, patient selection, and, most importantly,“physician selection.” Novel strategies are clearly needed, and the mostencouraging ones for the near future include high-dose IL-2 in combinationwith adoptive transfer of selected tumor-reactive T cells afternonmyeloablative regimens, BRAF inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy,and the combination of chemotherapeutic agents andbiochemotherapy with oblimersen sodium (Genasense).


Radiotherapy for Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: Rationale and Indications

Radiotherapy for Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: Rationale and Indications

January 1st 2004

The use of radiation as adjuvant therapy for patients with cutaneousmalignant melanoma has been hindered by the unsubstantiatedbelief that melanoma cells are radioresistant. An abundance of literaturehas now demonstrated that locoregional relapse of melanoma iscommon after surgery alone when certain clinicopathologic featuresare present. Features associated with a high risk of primary tumor recurrenceinclude desmoplastic subtype, positive microscopic margins,recurrent disease, and thick primary lesions with ulceration or satellitosis.Features associated with a high risk of nodal relapse include extracapsularextension, involvement of four or more lymph nodes, lymphnodes measuring at least 3 cm, cervical lymph node location, and recurrentdisease. Numerous studies support the efficacy of adjuvant irradiationin these clinical situations. Although data in the literatureremain sparse, evidence also indicates that elective irradiation is effectivein eradicating subclinical nodal metastases after removal of theprimary melanoma. Consequently, there may be an opportunity to integrateradiotherapy into the multimodality treatment of patients at highrisk of subclinical nodal disease, particularly those with an involvedsentinel lymph node. Such patients are known to have a low rate ofadditional lymph node involvement, and thus in this group, a shortcourse of radiotherapy may be an adequate substitute for regional lymphnode dissection. This will be the topic of future research.