In a nutshell This study reported the long-term effectiveness and safety of the combined treatment of vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and cobimetinib (Cotellic) in patients with previously untreated BRAF-mutated advanced melanoma. The data showed that the combination was safe and effective over the long term. Some background Melanoma is an aggressive...
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In a nutshell The aim of this study was to evaluate if cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood could predict a patient's response to targeted therapy. The study found that measuring ctDNA could predict how a patient would respond to therapy. Some background Melanoma is a form of skin cancer. Treatment for early-stage...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the effect of dabrafenib (Tafinlar and trametinib (Mekinist) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in melanoma. They found that this treatment combination did not effect PROs. Some background Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. The prognosis for melanoma has improved in recent years. Targeted therapies...
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In a nutshell This article investigated the safety and effectiveness of BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and immunotherapy such as ipilimumab (Yervoy) in a real-world setting for patients with advanced melanoma. The authors concluded that this therapy is safe and...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The study examined if age played a role in the effect of immunotherapy treatment on patients with melanoma. The study concluded that immunotherapy is similarly effective in patients of all ages. Some background Immunotherapy is a type of treatment which targets the immune system to help it to fight cancer. A specific type of...
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Video information: As part of our coverage from the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Dr. Ryan Sullivan from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School provides a positive update for melanoma patients. Dr. Sullivan shares positive news related to PD-1 inhibitors and other promising advancements...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of treatment with ipilimumab (Yervoy) after anti-PD1 agents such as nivolumab (Opdivo) or pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Researchers suggested that patients can benefit from treatment with ipilimumab, but at a cost of a higher toxicity. Some...
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In a nutshell The authors assessed the effect of vemurafenib (Zelboraf) in metastatic (spread to other areas of the body) melanoma patients prior to surgery. The authors found that surgery to remove metastatic tumors is safe and effective during or just after treatment with vemurafenib. Some background In advanced melanoma (stages 3 to...
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In a nutshell The authors analyzed the adverse effect of combination treatment with radiation and targeted therapy in melanoma. Some background In advanced melanoma (stage III/IV), cancer spreads from the skin to other parts of the body. In the majority of advanced melanoma patients, BRAF genes are mutated...
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In a nutshell The authors evaluated the effect of dabrafenib (Tafinlar) in disease progression in melanoma patients with cancer that has spread to the brain (metastasis). Some background In advanced melanoma (stage III/IV) cancer spreads from the skin to other parts of the body, most commonly, to the brain. In...
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In a nutshell The authors compared the safety and effectiveness of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to chemotherapy for the treatment of ipilimumab (Yervoy)-resistant melanoma. Some background Ipilimumab, an immunotherapy (treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer), is an approved drug for the...
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In a nutshell The authors reviewed the biology as well as current and future treatment options for eye melanoma. Some background Uveal melanoma is a rare cancer (melanoma) of the eye. It involves three parts of the eye (iris, ciliary body and choroid) known together as the uvea. Eye melanoma is associated with a high risk...
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