Skin Cancer/Melanoma

An immunotherapy finally gives doctors an approved weapon to fight Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and still mysterious skin cancer.

It isn't always so "normal," is it?

The combination of Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib) was granted a breakthrough therapy designation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the adjuvant treatment of patients who have stage 3 melanoma and a BRAF V600 mutation, after they have already had a complete resection.

Research into combination approaches now focuses on using three anti–PD-1 therapies and new checkpoints, such as IDO.

The combination of the immunotherapies Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) sparked a response in nearly half of asymptomatic patients with melanoma brain metastases who had not received prior local therapy to the brain.

The longest response rate lasted six months.

Although chemotherapy has been used to treat patients with Merkel cell carcinoma, immunotherapy agents show great promise, according to findings presented at the 2017 World Congress of Melanoma.

Maria T. Landi, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) discusses a recent study that identified genetic variations that may be linked with increased melanoma risk.

Intralesional therapies – those delivered directly to the tumor site – used in conjunction with checkpoint inhibitors have shown improvements to the treatment of people with melanoma, says Robert Andtbacka, M.D., in a presentation at the 2017 World Congress of Melanoma.

Members of the public can submit comments to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on its draft recommendation statement on sun protection until Nov. 6, 2017.

Opdivo (nivolumab) was granted a priority review to a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) to treat patients with melanoma who have a high risk of disease recurrence after complete surgical resection, according to Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), the company that makes the drug.

Seven-year cancer survivor shares tips to help you get through cancer.

Merrick I. Ross, M.D., discussed key issues in melanoma as the treatment paradigm continues to change.

Breast cancer survivor shares how she copes with fear of recurrence while coping with her mom's breast cancer death and other life changes.

Patients and providers can evaluate lesions within seconds by running the tip of the device over their skin, and then link the results to a user-friendly smartphone app.

Combination therapy of Opdivo (nivolumab) and LAG-3 inhibitor relatlimab (BMS-986016) benefitted half of the patients with melanoma who previously progressed on an anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 therapy, according to recent results from a dose-expansion study.

Yania Jansen, surgical trainee at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Brussels, Belgium, discusses the possibility of stopping treatment with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for patients with melanoma.

Would you go see a genetics counselor again, now that there may be more to test for? Would you get a double mastectomy seven years out?

Breast cancer survivor reflects back on what she wishes the medical profession's approach could have been to her cancers.

Two-time cancer survivor says lets look death and dying in the face so we don't live our lives in (as much) fear.

The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes – two types of white blood cells – can give oncologists valuable information regarding a patient’s prognosis.

In a recent phase 2 study, nearly half of patients who had resectable stage 3B/C BRAF V600-mutant melanoma achieved pathologic complete response (pCR) – meaning that no active cancer cells are present – with neoadjuvant combination therapy consisting of Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib).

Jeffrey Weber, M.D., Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses how important it is that patients speak up when they experience side effects from their cancer treatments.

An injured cancer survivor reluctantly but gratefully copes with neuropathy, osteopenia and stiff-joint cancer side effects after recently breaking her foot and getting surgery.

The risk of relapse dropped 53 percent when trametinib and dabrafenib were used after therapy.