Recent News and Updates in the Field of Skin Cancer

There have been multiple notable updates in the field of skin cancer over the past several months. To recognize Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which occurs each May, CURE® compiled the top stories from this field that patients, survivors and caregivers may have missed.

• On an episode of the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Jeffrey Wittig, who has undergone 41 surgeries and physically debilitating treatments during his more than 15-year journey with skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and basal cell carcinoma). Wittig discussed his cancer journey and how he focuses on quality rather than quantity of life.
• The FDA approved Libtayo (cemiplimab-rwlc), which is the first immunotherapy for treatment of patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma, who previously had only one therapy option for locally advanced disease. CURE® spoke with an expert about what this approval may mean for patients.
• Study results showed that FDA approval of immunotherapies and BRAF/MEK inhibitors may have improved overall survival in patients with skin cancer that spread to the brain.
• Chronic side effects from anti-PD-1 therapy for patients with advanced skin cancer were found to be more common than previously believed, though the findings should not deter patients from seeking treatment that can provide long-term survival, said an expert from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
• Keytruda (pembrolizumab) proved to be clinically beneficial for patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and significantly improved distant metastasis-free survival (during which no cancer spread to other parts of the body) in patients with high-risk stage 3 cutaneous melanoma.

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