Skin Cancer

Outcomes for patients with Merkel Cell Carcinoma are typically poor and therapeutic options are limited, but advances in understanding the biology of the disease, as well as emerging cutting-edge treatments are expected to improve the outlook, experts say.

Ipilimumab has been evaluated in the adjuvant setting. One expert predicts that ipilimumab’s positive effect on progression-free survival will translate into improvements in overall survival; however, he cautions that there is a risk:benefit ratio to be weighed.

Study finds that treatment with erlotinib may be beneficial in selected head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma cases

New agent approvals over the last several years and even better ones in the pipeline have displaced older therapies and improved outcomes for patients with melanoma. Some physicians say, the future may bring a cure.

results of a clinical validation study suggest that a new gene expression profile (GEP) test is effective for cutaneous melanoma. Find out how.

Melanoma cells proliferate and thrive with access to glutamine. Learn what one study found happens without the protein building amino acid.

Results from a phase 2b clinical trial suggest that the Aclaris Therapeutics drug A-101 performed well . Find out how.

Nivolumab is a promising treatment for metastatic melanoma and has not produced the same adverse events as have been observed with ipilimumab.

The success of the Hedgehog inhibitors in treating BCC as well as basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS) has changed patients’ lives. Traditionally there was little we could do for patients with locally advanced or metastasized disease, but with understanding of the Hedgehog pathway, we can now intervene, experts say.

Ablation of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with a high-powered CO2 laser offers the advantage of highly precise tissue removal. Read and learn why and how.

Technology may enhance ability to ID cancerous disease states

Researchers are aiming to better understand the molecular signaling pathways and the immune microenvironment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The use of targeted or mechanism-based therapies may lead to better-understood combinations, higher response rates and better survival.

Retrospective research demonstrated a significant difference between dermatologists and non-dermatologists in recognizing melanoma, suggesting increased dermatology training for non-dermatologists should be a priority.

Whole-body photographic camera developed out of U.S. military surveillance technology may have applications in dermatology. Dermatologists could one day use the camera to take whole-body images in high-risk patients; then, let a computer do the work of analyzing lesions that need attention.

The Food and Drug Administration has granted accelerated approval to nivolumab (Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma and for patients whose disease has progressed following ipilimumab and, if BRAF V600 mutation-positive, a BRAF inhibitor.

Optimal patient outcomes using new systemic therapies for advanced basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma requires active involvement of the dermatologist in a multidisciplinary care team.

Melanoma is a genetically heterogeneous condition that will likely result in more diversified clinical management in the future.

Intense pulsed light (IPL) may facilitate more efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) than blue-light PDT, according to expert at Cosmetic Surgery Forum.

UCLA researchers have developed a methodology to predict whether advanced melanoma patients will or will not respond to the breakthrough drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck).

TAK-33 inhibited and regressed tumor growth in melanoma cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models. This “robust” success in the lab, according to a study published in Nov. 5, 2014 in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, justifies continued clinical development as a potential therapy for melanoma patients.

A new government study suggests costs related to nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma treatment have skyrocketed relative to other cancers, increasing by 126 percent to more than $8 billion.

Metastatic melanoma patients treated with sargramostim and ipilimumab experienced longer overall survival and less toxicity than patients treated with ipilimumab alone.

When researchers studied mortality from conditions with skin manifestations in developed versus developing countries, they found living in the developed world doesn’t always translate to lower death rates. Age-adjusted mortality for melanoma, for example, was about five times greater in the developed world than in developing countries.

Dermatologists need to be vigilant and more aware of the type and frequency of skin cancers that can occur in patients with darker Fitzpatrick Skin Types, an expert says. In addition to examining the “typical” sites where these tumors occur, dermatologists should also carefully inspect the oral mucosa as well as the palms and soles.

A new study provides the first mechanistic insight into the tumor-promoting role of chronic allergic contact dermatitis in skin cancer development.

SIRT6, a protein that suppresses liver and colon tumor growth, seems to have the opposite effect on skin cancer when combined with sun exposure.

A phase 2 trial of PV-10, a formulation of rose bengal, demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of locally advanced cutaneous melanoma.

Recent studies appear to confirm greater efficacy of combination treatments over vemurafenib monotherapy in improving progression-free survival for patients with melanoma.

Researchers at Dartmouth College have discovered that BRAFV600E, often found in metastatic melanoma, is capable of modifying normal cells surrounding the tumor to encourage disease progression.

Therapeutics is one of the most significant challenges in pediatric dermatology. Children have been identified as “therapeutic orphans”, with few options that have FDA-approved pediatric indications. Access to new and novel treatments like biologics is especially limited. Supportive legislation, beginning with the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (bpca.nichd.nih.gov), has marked the dawn of a new era.