Skin Cancer

Melanoma in situ is a common tumor, and often affects the elderly. In some cases, surgery can be extremely extensive and/or patients are not good surgical candidates. For years, Dermatogists have been offering topical imiquimod (Aldara) to these patients as an alternative to surgery, with the full understanding that it is not as good as…

In an article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, individuals “with psoriasis who were treated with biologics had an increased incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.” The risk increased by over 42% in those exposed to the TNF-alpha biololics, which include: infliximab[7] (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), and golimumab (Simponi), or with a circulating receptor fusion protein such as etanercept (Enbrel) which may…

A recent meta-analysis and data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey concluded that prohibiting tanning bed use for minors could potentially reduce the incidence of melanoma by 4.9% and the number of melanoma deaths by 4.7%. It has been long known that tanning bed use increases the risk of cancer, but these findings are quite alarming….

Blue light photodynamic therapy (pdt) has been used for over a decade for the treatment of actinic keratosis, acne, and some superficial skin cancers, but has been associated with moderate discomfort during treatment. A new protocol using 2 and a half hours of natural sunlight instead of 16 minutes of blue light has been studied…

According to an article published online April 7, 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, the use of sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer) is associated with an increased risk of developing invasive malignant melanoma. Other medications used to treat erectile dysfunction, including Cialis and Levitra, were not studied as they were not approved at the time that this study…

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) was finally approved for the treatment of inoperable malignant melanoma. Testing was never completed as it performed so well in the early clinical trials.

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…

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…

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.

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.