In a nutshell The study monitored the occurrence of possible immune-related side effects (irSEs) in patients with advanced melanoma under single and combination therapy of ipilimumab (I; Yervoy), nivolumab (N; Opdivo), and pembrolizumab (P; Keytruda). The authors found that combination therapy increases the frequency of irSEs. Some background...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined how COVID-19 infection affects patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and the role of other factors in COVID-19 complications. The results showed that patients with advanced age and other medical conditions had a higher risk of COVID-19 complications but chemotherapy treatment did not need to be...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined if biological therapies nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) could safely prevent cancer return in patients with stage IV melanoma that has been surgically removed. The results showed that nivolumab and ipilimumab were effective at preventing recurrence but nivolumab alone was safer for patients. Some...
Read More
In a nutshell This study compared the frequency of allergic reactions to different doses of three biological therapies in patients with advanced melanoma. The authors found that different doses of the three drugs reduced the number of allergic reactions. Some background Biological therapy has significantly improved treatment results for patients...
Read More
In a nutshell This article reviewed the skin side effects caused by anti-PD-1 biological therapy. Some background Anti-PD-1 is a type of biological therapy that has significantly improved treatment results for patients with certain types of cancer. It works by blocking PD-1, a molecule that cancer cells use to switch off the immune...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This article reviewed biological therapies for patients with melanoma based on which type of disease they have. Some background Patients with melanoma are often treated with surgery to remove tumors first. In some cases, this is not enough. In other cases, patients have inoperable tumors. These patients are offered...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study examined if certain immunotherapy drugs increased the risk of developing side effects in the gut in patients with cancer also receiving chemotherapy. The results showed that immunotherapy drugs increased the risks of developing gut-related side effects compared to chemotherapy alone. Some background...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This article reviewed the types and frequency of different skin-related side effects that patients with melanoma experience while receiving biological treatments. Some background Treatment for patients with melanoma has changed in recent years from chemotherapy to biological therapies. Biological therapies include BRAF inhibitors...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This guideline reviewed treatment options for patients with newly diagnosed uveal melanoma. Some background The uvea is the middle layer of the eye. It is made up of the iris (the colored part of the eye), the ciliary body (a muscle in the eye), and the choroid (a layer of tissue in the back of the eye). In uveal melanoma (UM), tumors...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study wanted to compare the side effects of immunotherapy and those of chemotherapy for melanoma. The study found that immunotherapy was associated with fewer side effects than treatment with chemotherapy. Some background Standard treatment for cancer included chemotherapies. These include drugs that attack and kill cancer...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study wanted to find out which was the better treatment for advanced melanoma that has been surgically treated, ipilimumab (Yervoy) or high dose interferon alfa (HDI). The study found that low dose ipilimumab resulted in better overall survival than HDI and high dose ipilimumab, but all of the treatments had...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study wanted to find out what the best order is for treating melanoma with immunotherapy medications and surgery. The study found that immunotherapy before surgery resulted in better survival outcomes for these patients. Some background Treatments for melanoma have changed in the last few years. A newer treatment is...
Read More
