NEW MELANOMA DRUG LOOKS PROMISING FOR STAGE III AND IV MELANOMA PATIENTS
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
51% Of Patients Benefited In Phase II Trial. Forbes (10/30, Fortonbury) reports that in a study published in Annals of Surgical Oncology, a new cancer drug, PV-10, 51% of stage III and IV melanoma patients benefited during a phase II trial, and achieved total cancer disappearance in 26%. In addition, the response tended to be both…
TWO NEW TREATMENTS FOR ADVANCED MELANOMA APPROVED BY FDA
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
On Wednesday the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved two new oral medications for the treatment of metastatic or advanced melanoma that is non-operable–Tafinlar and Mekinist–both of which are marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. Both drugs are to be used as a mono-therapy–not combined with other treatments. Still the best treatment for melanoma…
NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER PATIENTS ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR OTHER CANCERS
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
Time reports in “Healthland” that those whom have had non-melanoma skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are at increased risk of developing breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma.
MELANOMA IN CHILDREN IS ON THE RISE
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
While rare, a recent study published in Pediatrics has shown an increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma in children. In the United States, 400 to 500 cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year, but as with the adult population, these numbers have been slowly increasing over the past several decades.
SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY (SLNB) MAY NOT BE INDICATED FOR MOST MELANOMAS <1MM THICK
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
New guideline issued jointly by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SOS), and published online July 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology do not recommend SLNB for tumors that are less than 1mm thick, unless there is ulceration present or rapidly diving cancer cells present. The study reported that there is insufficient…
MELANOMA DRUG VEMURAFENIB MAY INCREASE RISK OF SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) speeds the growth of squamous cell carcinoma. HealthDay explained that “roughly one-quarter of patients who take the medication develop a troublesome side effect: secondary skin cancers called squamous cell carcinomas.”
SHOULD MELANOMA EXCISIONS BE SO LARGE?
By Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist |
A study published in The Lancet by Dr. Peter Gillgren indicates that a 2-cm excision margin is safe and as sufficient as 4-cm margins for the removal of melanomas that are at least 2-mm thick. This study took place in Sweden and involved a total of 936 patients. This study indicates what has been believed for over a decade, that large…