All Melanoma News

Among patients with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo), decreasing values of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in tumor-informed liquid biopsies during the first 6 weeks of therapy were associated with improved survival outcomes, a recent study showed.

Melanoma in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) has distinct epidemiologic characteristics, with a declining incidence over the past 2 decades but an increasing trend in all-cause and cancer-specific mortality among specific populations, according to study results published in Clinics in Dermatology.

Men with melanoma tend to be diagnosed later and have worse outcomes. Artificial intelligence can help change that, a review suggests.

Childhood cancer survivors have a more than two-fold increased risk of developing melanoma during their lifetime, compared to the general population, as well as a two-fold increased risk of death associated with a melanoma diagnosis. So reported a team of researchers in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Men with melanoma tend to be diagnosed later and have worse outcomes. Artificial intelligence can help change that, a review suggests.

Metastatic melanoma, also known as stage IV melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. It is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, with current therapies—including immunotherapy and targeted drugs—showing limited effectiveness. Radiotherapy is an emerging treatment for melanoma, but conventional beta-emitting radionuclide therapies have limitations due to their low energy transfer and long-range radiation, which can cause unintended damage to healthy tissues.

Metastatic melanoma, also known as stage IV melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. It is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, with current therapies — including immunotherapy and targeted drugs — showing limited effectiveness. Radiotherapy is an emerging treatment for melanoma, but conventional beta-emitting radionuclide therapies have limitations due to their low energy transfer and long-range radiation, which can cause unintended damage to healthy tissues.

Recent advancements in the melanoma treatment paradigm have drastically improved outcomes and changed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma from a horrible prognosis to a potentially curable one. DocWire News spoke to John Fruehauf, MD, field medical director at Evolent, about how new therapies have improved the landscape of metastatic melanoma care.

WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — In a review and meta-analysis published online March 12 in JAMA Dermatology, several risk prediction models are identified and externally validated for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) positivity in melanoma.

Hello. I’m Dr Maurie Markman, from City of Hope. I’d like to present what I consider to be very important and positive objective data regarding the impact that we are having on the management of cancer, in general, and advanced cancers in particular. The paper I’m referring to is entitled, “Long-term survival in patients with advanced melanoma,” published in JAMA Network Open.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company specializing in the research and development of molecular diagnostics for oncology and, inflammatory and infectious diseases, proudly announces the publication of a groundbreaking study titled “Enhanced Risk Stratification for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Head and Neck Melanoma Using the Merlin Assay (CP-GEP)." [1] This study, led by Ani Pazhava, MD, and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and SkylineDx, highlights the potential of the Merlin test to refine clinical decision-making in head and neck melanoma patients.

Recent advancements in the melanoma treatment paradigm have drastically improved outcomes and changed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma from a horrible prognosis to a potentially curable one. DocWire News spoke to John Fruehauf, MD, field medical director at Evolent, about how new therapies have improved the landscape of metastatic melanoma care.

In December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab and hyaluronidase-nvhv (Opdivo Qvantig) for subcutaneous injection across all of nivolumab’s approved adult solid tumor indications, including melanoma.

The study could open the door to potential novel therapeutic targets.

Researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center have found a new way to boost cancer immunotherapy by targeting a protein called macrophage receptor with collagenous structure, or MARCO. Their study, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, shows that blocking MARCO in combination with a type of immunotherapy known as anti-CTLA4 therapy, significantly enhances tumor regression in melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Collecting images of suspicious-looking skin growths and sending them off-site for specialists to analyze is as accurate in identifying melanomas as having a dermatologist examine them in person, a new study showed.

In a phase II trial reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Weiss et al found that the combination of pembrolizumab and bevacizumab was active in patients with previously untreated melanoma brain metastases.

Introduction. A 67-year-old woman presented to the otolaryngologist’s office with a 2-week history of recurrent epistaxis and nasal airway obstruction limited to the right nasal passage.

In a recent essay, scientists challenge the prevailing genetic-focused model of cancer, advocating for a shift towards more holistic views that include non-genetic factors in cancer development.

Presenting features and outcomes of ocular melanoma may differ on the basis of Fitzpatrick skin type (FST), according to the results of a review published in Clinics in Dermatology.

Melanoma in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) has distinct epidemiologic characteristics, with a declining incidence over the past 2 decades but an increasing trend in all-cause and cancer-specific mortality among specific populations, according to study results published in Clinics in Dermatology.

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According to Amaria, early data from the phase 1 study, including findings presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting were encouraging, as OBX-115 was shown to be well-tolerated and did not lead to any severe adverse events.

An expert explores how prognostic gene expression testing enhances risk stratification and guides personalized treatment in melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and also shares clinical insights and practice pearls from my experience using these tests.

A study has uncovered a novel method to enhance immunotherapy for melanoma by targeting a protein known as macrophage receptor with collagenous structure, or MARCO. The findings showed that blocking MARCO in combination with anti-CTLA4 therapy appreciably slows tumor progression in melanoma. The findings were reported in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.

The anti–PD-1/VEGF combination of pembrolizumab and bevacizumab elicited strong clinical activity in patients with melanoma brain metastases.

Researchers have created a new vaccine for the treatment of late-stage metastatic melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer that can resist conventional treatments because it exists in an ecosystem that suppresses the body’s immune response.

Researchers have uncovered a stealth survival strategy that melanoma cells use to evade targeted therapy, offering a promising new approach to improving treatment outcomes.

Cancer treatment vaccines have been in development since 2010, when the first was approved for prostate cancer, followed by another in 2015 for melanoma. While many therapeutic (rather than preventive) cancer vaccines have been researched since then, none have received approval. A major challenge in their development is identifying tumor antigens that are distinct enough from normal cells to trigger a strong immune response.

A new discovery from the University of Geneva highlights the crucial role of the CH25H enzyme, which is found in cancerous lymphatic cells. This enzyme plays a key part in activating immune cells, opening up a promising pathway for improving the success of cancer immunotherapies.

A team of researchers from the European Institute of Oncology and the Politecnico di Milano developed the novel “gut-on-a-chip”: a miniature model of the human intestine on a chip-sized device capable of reproducing the main features of intestinal inflammation as a biomarker for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with melanoma.

Trinkle Professor of Biology Kristian M. Hargadon ’01 and two alumni co-authors published research on anti-tumor immune dysfunction in Cancer Reports.

The concept of using vaccines to treat cancers has been around for several decades. A vaccine was first approved for prostate cancer in 2010, and another was approved in 2015 for melanoma. Since then, many therapeutic—as opposed to preventive—cancer vaccines have been in development, but none are approved. One hurdle is the difficulty in finding antigens in tumors that look foreign enough to trigger an immune response.

Hello, everybody. My name is Teresa Amaral, and today I’m here to talk to you about biomarkers. I would like to frame this in relation to the treatment of patients with melanoma, especially early-stage melanoma. Do we have any biomarkers that we could use in the early stage of melanoma?

Updates to the NCCN guidelines recommend HEPZATO KIT for use in hepatic-dominant uveal melanoma as a Category 2A treatment option.

The FDA’s accelerated approval of lifileucel (Amtagvi; Iovance Biotherapeutics) marks a major milestone in immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, building on decades of research in tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.

Vaccines to treat cancers have been around since 2010, the first being approved for prostate cancer, and another in 2015 for melanoma.

Childhood cancer survivors are more than twice as likely to develop melanoma as the general population, according to findings published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Teresa Petrella, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, discusses long-term data that inform the sequencing of immunotherapy and targeted therapies for frontline melanoma.

Most physicians agree that patients should know how much they’re going to pay for treatment before deciding on a plan. According to a survey of breast cancer surgeons, 87 percent agreed with this. Yet, it’s only a minority of physicians who claim they have cost-of-care discussions with their patients.

If detected early, the prognosis for skin cancer is excellent. An innovative full-body scanner linked to an AI diagnostic platform is set to help with early detection of melanoma. In just six minutes, it automatically scans a patient’s entire body, providing a risk assessment for each anomalous change found in the skin.

In a study of patients with advanced melanoma, the prevalence of cutaneous immune–related adverse events (cirAEs) associated with nivolumab/relatlimab combination therapy was 21.5%, with rash and maculopapular eruption being most common.

WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Handheld reflectance confocal microscopy (HH-RCM) is promising for detecting subclinical lentigo maligna (melanoma; LM/LMM), according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology.

ORLANDO — AI can transform how dermatologists diagnose skin conditions including melanoma; however, without attention to equitability, specifically in skin of color, it could exacerbate disparities in care, according to a speaker here.

Adewole (Ade) Adamson, MD, MPP, FAAD, assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, presented a session titled, “Approach to Melanoma Diagnosis" at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

Alexander C.J. Van Akkooi, MD, PhD, FRACS, chair, Melanoma Surgery, Melanoma Institute Australia; associate professor, University of Sydney, discusses findings from the prospective EORTC-1208-MG registry study (NCT01942603), which, in addition to evaluating the outcomes of patients with minimal sentinel node tumor burden who were managed without complete lymph node dissection, evaluated the accuracy of local pathological review in diagnosing metastatic melanoma.

Basal cell carcinomas, the most common form of skin cancer, occur in chronically sun-exposed areas such as the face. Locally advanced tumors in particular can be difficult to treat surgically. A research team from MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has now investigated the effectiveness of a new type of therapy and achieved promising results.

New research led by the Medical University of Vienna has uncovered a combination therapy that shows promising results in melanoma and breast cancer models. The findings were published in Nature Cancer.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new way to grow T cells in the lab that enables them to live longer and better destroy cancer cells in a mouse model of melanoma compared to those grown in traditional growth media.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new way to grow T cells in the lab that enables the cells to live longer and better destroy cancer cells in a mouse model of melanoma, compared with those cells grown using traditional growth media.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Thach-Giao Truong, MD, discussed how data from the CheckMate-067 and RELATIVITY-047 affect their choice of therapy for metastatic melanoma in the first article of a 2-part series.

Significant differences exist in the mean age at diagnosis of invasive melanoma between men and women and are influenced by anatomic site and Breslow thickness, according to study results published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Scientists at the University of Waterloo are creating the knowledge base necessary for the early detection of melanoma.

During his rotations as a medical student at McGill University, Roy Khalaf met a patient whose metastatic melanoma had spread to his brain and other areas of his body. Coming to terms with his unfortunate fate, the patient – a father of three children under five – regretted he hadn’t been able to detect the cancer earlier, when treatment might have been more effective.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new way to grow T cells in the lab that enables them to live longer and better destroy cancer cells in a mouse model of melanoma compared to those grown in traditional growth media.

Melanoma is a fast-progressing skin cancer characterized by a high mortality rate after metastasis. Local chemotherapy could be considered a therapeutic approach only in stage 0 of progression (in situ melanoma) and in the postoperative phase after surgical removal of suspected skin lesions. For this purpose, drugs such as Imiquimod, 5-Fluorouracil, Dacarbazine, and Doxorubicin have been tested and shown positive effects. Recently, metal nanoparticles as separate therapeutic units or drug carriers have also fallen into the research focus.

Melanoma is a fast-progressing skin cancer characterized by a high mortality rate after metastasis. Local chemotherapy could be considered a therapeutic approach only in stage 0 of progression (in situ melanoma) and in the postoperative phase after surgical removal of suspected skin lesions. For this purpose, drugs such as Imiquimod, 5-Fluorouracil, Dacarbazine, and Doxorubicin have been tested and shown positive effects. Recently, metal nanoparticles as separate therapeutic units or drug carriers have also fallen into the research focus.

While we think of cutaneous melanoma as a sun-related skin cancer, those that develop on sun-protected sites, such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and fingernails are more rare but also more deadly.

When considering multiple variables, long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) may protect against the development of melanoma. According to a novel preliminary study, higher concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 correlate with a decreased risk of melanoma.

The lab of The Wistar Institute’s Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., has identified a new strategy for attacking treatment-resistant melanoma: inhibiting the gene S6K2. The team has published their findings in a paper titled “Selective abrogation of S6K2 identifies lipid homeostasis as a survival vulnerability in MAPKi-resistant NRASMUT melanoma" in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

South Africa experiences one of the highest rates of skin cancer globally, with 20 000 new skin cancer cases and 700 related deaths annually, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation of South Africa. Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers and while it accounts for only 1% of skin cancers it is responsible for 80% of skin cancer deaths. Furthermore, it accounts for only 1.7% of all cancers diagnosed, but 20% of overall global deaths from cancer.

Study author Erin McClure, MD, discusses how IGSRT offers consistent NMSC recurrence rates across socioeconomic and comorbidity factors, reinforcing its role as a first-line treatment.

The lab of The Wistar Institute’s Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D., has identified a new strategy for attacking treatment-resistant melanoma: inhibiting the gene S6K2. The team published their findings in the paper, “Selective abrogation of S6K2 identifies lipid homeostasis as a survival vulnerability in MAPKi-resistant NRASMUT melanoma," from the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Nivolumab (Opdivo) plus relatlimab (Opdualag) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced melanoma compared with anti–PD-1 monotherapy alone, according to three-year descriptive results of the RELATIVITY-047 trial that confirm the combination’s sustained benefit.

Researchers have found that inhibiting the S6K2 gene could be an effective strategy for managing treatment-resistant melanoma, according to a recent study published by Lipchick et al in Science Translational Medicine.

More than one-quarter of blood or marrow transplant survivors developed cutaneous malignant neoplasms, according to study results.

Paolo A. Ascierto, MD, director, Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, National Tumor Institute Fondazione G. Pascale, discusses treatment sequencing considerations for patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma, based on findings from the phase 2 SECOMBIT (NCT02631447) and phase 3 DREAMseq (NCT02224781) trials.

Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, head, Dermatology Unit, Gustave Roussy, discusses the role of adjuvant anti–PD-1 therapy in the treatment of patients with resected stage IIB/C melanoma, highlighting findings from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 (NCT03553836) and CheckMate 76K (NCT04099251) trials that have informed treatment decisions in this setting.

Melanoma, recognized as the most aggressive form of skin cancer, poses significant risks when it metastasizes to the brain.

NEW YORK – A research team led by investigators at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute has uncovered somatic mutations linked to immunotherapy resistance in metastatic melanoma patients who experienced disease recurrence and acquired drug resistance after an initial response to immune checkpoint immunotherapy (ICI).

Marlana M. Orloff, MD, associate professor, Jefferson University; physician, Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, discusses optimal treatment strategies for patients with aggressive uveal melanoma.

Mark Faries, MD, surgical oncologist, Cedars?Sinai, The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute; associate director, Surgical Oncology Experimental Therapeutics, Cedars Sinai Department of Surgery; and head, surgical oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discusses how CAR T-cell therapies and transgenic T-cell receptor (TCR) cell therapies compare with current tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) approaches in melanoma.

High levels of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) have been linked to increased tumor growth and resistance to immunotherapy. In a study recently published in PNAS, researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine identified vitamin E succinate (VES) as an effective agent in controlling tumor growth by promoting the degradation of FTO.

Teresa Petrella, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, medical oncologist, affiliate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute; and associate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, discusses key considerations in selecting frontline therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma based on long-term survival data and therapeutic sequencing findings.

Trauma-induced melanocyte implantation can lead to subcutaneous melanoma, mimicking melanoma of unknown primary but with distinct diagnostic criteria.

Ryan Sullivan, MD, director, Center for Melanoma, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses findings from the phase 2 IGNYTE trial (NCT03767348) evaluating RP1 in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo) in patients with advanced melanoma who progressed on prior anti–PD-1 therapy.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Thach-Giao Truong, MD, discussed goals and barriers to treatment when using combination immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma in the second article of a 2-part series.

Nivolumab plus relatlimab did not improve recurrence-free survival vs nivolumab in resected stage III/IV melanoma.

Image of human melanoma tissue, with melanoma cells in green and purple extracellular matrix fibres arranged perpendicular at the border of the tumour. Credit Oscar Maiques Carlos

Data from RELATIVITY-047 show consistent benefits with nivolumab/relatlimab across most patient subgroups, including those with BRAF-mutated disease.

While many people are familiar with skin melanoma, this type of cancer can also happen in the eye. Though rare, ocular melanoma can be deadly if tumor cells spread from the eye to other organs.

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers, with over 300,000 new cases reported worldwide each year. In Europe, the number of diagnoses has been rising rapidly. However, early detection and advanced treatments can significantly improve survival rates. Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) are contributing to the development of a non-invasive melanoma treatment, using light and special dyes.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Evan J. Lipson, MD, moderated a discussion on the tolerability of immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma and when to stop therapy.

Tara C. Mitchell, MD, discusses considerations and lingering questions regarding pre- and post-operative management strategies in stage IIB/IIIC melanoma.

Melanoma patients with some of the worst diagnoses having seen the disease spread to their brains are tonight being given a major boost of hope, all thanks to a ground-breaking clinical trial.

An international team of UK and US scientists has discovered that the activity of macrophages – a type of white blood cell that engulf pathogens and cancer cells – can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to immunotherapy. Their findings, published in a landmark paper in JCO Oncology Advances, will help clinicians select treatments that are most likely to be effective for their patients.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is the first hospital in the Washington metropolitan area to offer Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy, or TIL therapy, to treat metastatic melanoma.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is less common and is associated with higher mortality rates than melanoma, according to a study that also reported that male gender, older age, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are significant risk factors.

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom and the United States has discovered that the activity of macrophages may prove to be useful in predicting whether or not a patient with melanoma will respond to immunotherapy. Their findings, published in JCO Oncology Advances, may help clinicians to select treatments that are most likely to be effective for their patients.

PD-L1 ligand expression demonstrates heterogeneity in both pre- and postconditions and was without direct correlation with the interactive state or TVEC response. The red line indicates no interaction (transfer efficiency of 4% or lower). Credit: JCO Oncology Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1200/OA-24-00049

Bartosz Chmielowski, MD, PhD, health sciences clinical professor, medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology, UCLA Health, discusses the rationale for investigating oncolytic viruses in melanoma.

Post treatment discontinuation, most centers conduct imaging every 3 months during the first year of remission.

Five-year recurrence-free survival was 55.1% with nevus-associated acral melanoma (NAAM) vs. 42.3% with de novo acral melanoma (DNAM).

Vusolimogene oderparepvec plus nivolumab showed responses and a favorable safety profile in advanced melanoma post-anti–PD-1 therapy, per phase 2 IGNYTE trial data.

Data augmentation techniques like cropping and blurring allow AI models to overcome limited datasets, improving skin cancer detection rates.

A history of childhood cancer more than doubled the risk of melanoma and premature death in adults, a large retrospective review showed.

A recent study shows that macrophages can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to chemotherapy. The results were published in Oncology Advances.

TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A popular diabetes drug can provide protection against skin cancers, a new study says.

Raymond Y. Huang, MD, Ph.D., of the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the corresponding author of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, “Comparative Analysis of Intracranial Response Assessment Criteria in Patients With Melanoma Brain Metastases Treated With Combination Nivolumab + Ipilimumab in CheckMate 204."

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The female survival advantage seen in melanoma is mainly a result of an indirect effect of sex mediated by clinicopathological features, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.

PHILADELPHIA – A new twist on a decades-old anticancer strategy has shown powerful effects against multiple cancer types in a preclinical study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The RISE R-5780-01 trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of R-5780 in patients with melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, or squamous cell carcinoma.

However, metformin did not protect Black patients against squamous cell carcinoma specifically.

While melanoma is relatively rare, accounting for only 1% of all skin cancer cases, rates of melanoma have been rising rapidly over the past few decades. It is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

Raymond Y. Huang, MD, Ph.D., of the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the corresponding author of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, “Comparative Analysis of Intracranial Response Assessment Criteria in Patients With Melanoma Brain Metastases Treated With Combination Nivolumab + Ipilimumab in CheckMate 204.”

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed organoid models to study uveal melanoma, one of the most common types of eye cancer in adults. Their goal is to use these models to better understand how this disease works and develop treatments for unmet patient needs.

After treating a tumor with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cells known as senescent cells can appear. These are cells that do not divide, are involved in the aging process, and are resistant to cell death, but are still metabolically active in the human body. When they accumulate, they can jeopardize the patients’ recovery. Now, a UB-led study describes for the first time a molecular mechanism that could drive the design of strategies to eliminate senescent cells in cancer patients.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to particulate matter (PM) with diameters of 10 µm (PM10) or with diameters that are 2.5 µm or smaller (PM2.5) seems to have a protective effect on melanoma risk, potentially due to the reduction in ultraviolet radiation exposure, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

The treatment landscape for melanoma saw significant advancements in 2024, as highlighted by Elisa Funck-Brentano, MD, PhD, from Ambroise-Paré Hospital in Paris, France, during her presentation at the 2024 Dermatology Days of Paris conference in Paris.

Melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, often metastasizes to bones, causing severe bone loss, an increased risk of fractures, and significant pain. Bone metastasis is associated with poor survival rates and a markedly reduced quality of life.

A research team at the Medical University of Vienna led by Maria Sibilia has investigated a new combination therapy against cancer. This therapy employs systemic administration of the tissue hormone interferon-I combined with local application of Imiquimod. This combination showed promising results in topically accessible tumors like melanoma and breast cancer models.

(Vienna, 23 January 2025) A research team at the Medical University of Vienna led by Maria Sibilia has investigated a new combination therapy against cancer. This therapy employs systemic administration of the tissue hormone interferon-I combined with local application of Imiquimod. This combination showed promising results in topically accessible tumors like melanoma and breast cancer models: The therapy led to the death of tumor cells at the treated sites and simultaneously activated the adaptive immune system to fight even distant metastases. The results published in the top journal Nature Cancer could improve the treatment of superficial tumors such as melanoma and breast cancer.

An M.D.-Ph.D. candidate in Georgetown University’s tumor biology program defended his dissertation, titled “Molecular Signatures of Treatment Responses in Tumors and Serial Liquid Biopsies in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma,” Jan. 16.

Nevus-associated acral melanoma (NAAM) demonstrates better recurrence-free survival and overall survival compared with de novo acral melanoma (DNAM), indicating a potentially more favorable prognosis for patients with NAAM, according to study results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Second-line adjuvant treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib appeared effective in a small study of patients with BRAF V600-mutated, resected, stage III/IV melanoma, researchers found. In fact, more than 80% of patients were free from relapse and metastasis at 1 year. These results were published in The Oncologist.

BMS-986253 plus nivolumab/ipilimumab failed to improve responses or PFS in advanced melanoma after progression on or after a checkpoint inhibitor.

Our study examines how different imaging criteria can be used to assess brain tumor responses in patients with melanoma treated with immunotherapy drugs. We identified one imaging method that was more accurate in predicting survival compared to others. While further work is needed, our study is promising and highlights the importance of more consistent imaging standards in clinical trials.

In an extended analysis of the phase II/III RELATIVITY-047 trial reported in the Journal of Oncology, Tawbi et al found a significant overall survival benefit with nivolumab/relatlimab vs nivolumab in previously untreated patients with unresectable advanced stage III or IV melanoma.

The crude incidence rate of melanoma-related death 20 years after diagnosis was 6% for those with tumors thinner than 0.8 mm.

Shortfalls in clinical management may explain why tumor upstaging in invasive melanoma is associated with worse survival outcomes, according to study findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The final, 10-year results of the international randomised clinical trial known as CheckMate 067 report that the median overall survival with advanced melanoma is nearly 72 months with the combination of nivolumab + ipilimumab, nearly 37 months with nivolumab monotherapy, and only 20 months with ipilimumab monotherapy. Both agents are immune checkpoint inhibitors, but their immune targets differ.

Researchers at The University of Sydney have identified a significant increase in melanoma-related death risk for patients with thin primary tumors measuring between 0.8 and 1.0 millimeters compared to those with thinner lesions.

Conducted as part of the MELCAYA project, the study demonstrates that anti PD-1 antibody immunotherapy is safe for children and adolescents. Furthermore, whilst it is effective for patients who have previously had their tumour removed, its effectiveness is diminished in more advanced cases, where metastasis has already spread to other organs.

Mohs micrographic surgery with melanocytic immunostains (MMS-I) is emerging as an effective treatment option for invasive melanomas, particularly in anatomically constrained areas, due to a low risk of local recurrence and disease-specific mortality, according to study results published in Dermatologic Surgery.

Survivors of blood or marrow transplant (BMT) face a significant risk of developing cutaneous malignant neoplasms, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma, with a cumulative incidence of 27.4% over 30 years, according to the results of a cohort study.

Elizabeth Buchbinder, MD, assistant professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School, senior physician, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the potential implications of the FDA’s decision to grant breakthrough therapy designation to RP1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced melanoma.

Cutaneous melanoma is a type of skin cancer typically associated with significant ultraviolet radiation exposure. Melanoma arises from melanocytes, cells found within the lower portion of the epidermis that make the pigment melanin.

Panelists discuss how first-line targeted therapy for advanced melanoma, particularly BRAF and MEK inhibitors, may offer significant benefits in patients with BRAF-mutant tumors, emphasizing rapid response and the potential for combination with immunotherapy to improve long-term outcomes.

DALLAS – Dec. 23, 2024 – UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers identified a genetic mutation that slows the growth of melanoma and potentially other cancers by harnessing the power of the immune system.

Matthew Hadfield, DO, discusses findings from a phase 2 study that used tocilizumab to reduce toxicities with immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma.

Panelists discuss how treating patients with melanoma and brain metastases requires a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing the role of immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and local treatments, while considering factors like the extent of metastasis and patient-specific factors.

MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Specific cancers are associated with an increased risk for developing subsequent cutaneous melanoma, according to a study published in the January issue of JID Innovations.

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) classification is based on tumor cytogenetic and gene expression profiling findings and has been shown to be highly predictive of uveal melanoma metastasis and death.

A study finding an association between a novel, benign nail presentation and cancer topped the list.

Omid Hamid, MD, discusses recent advances in the melanoma treatment landscape and highlights the 21st Annual International Symposium on Melanoma and Other Cutaneous Malignancies®.

The director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center discusses palliative care training for hematology/oncology fellows and highlights a pilot study aimed at improving this area of training.

Rice University scientists discovered a novel way to fight cancer by using what they call “molecular jackhammers,” molecules vibrating when they are catalyzed by light.

Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates globally, with nearly 19,000 Australians diagnosed with invasive melanoma – the most lethal type of skin cancer – each year.

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) has a high concordance rate with histopathology for presurgical margin mapping in patients with lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology.

As 2024 comes to a close, Dermatology Times is taking a look back at the studies, therapies, and advances in skin cancer this year.

Melanoma arising from pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes is the deadliest form of skin cancer. A major cause of melanoma is excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, from sunlight or other sources, which can trigger mutations that promote tumor formation.

Duke Cancer Institute researchers have identified potential biomarkers that predict the likelihood for checkpoint inhibitor drugs to backfire, driving hyper-progression of melanoma cells instead of unleashing the immune system to fight them.

Researchers recommend limiting routine lipase tests to symptomatic patients or those with radiographic signs of pancreatic injury.

In this JCO Article Insights episode, Rohit Singh provides a summary on “First-Line Nivolumab Plus Relatlimab Versus Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma: An Indirect Treatment Comparison Using RELATIVITY-047 and CheckMate 067 Trial Data", by Long et al, published in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The article provides insights into the use of the two dual immune checkpoint inhibitor regimens in patients with untreated advanced melanoma.

Tumor characteristics differ significantly among pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with melanoma, with decreasing incidence rates seen among young patients with cutaneous melanoma, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Tumor characteristics differ significantly among pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with melanoma, with decreasing incidence rates seen among young patients with cutaneous melanoma, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Certain factors may contribute to higher occurrences of non-melanoma skin cancer in these patients, according to a novel systemic review.

Summary: In previous research, Dana-Farber researchers found that a tumor’s genomic heterogeneity, meaning the tumor’s propensity to develop new mutations, and low genomic ploidy, a measure of the number of chromosomes in the cells, predicts resistance to immune checkpoint blockade with anti-PD-1 therapy.

The combination of HBI-8000 and nivolumab induced a response in nearly two-thirds of patients with advanced melanoma and no prior anti–PD-1/PD-L1 treatment.

The FDA received a biologics license application for the accelerated approval of RP1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) to treat adults with with advanced melanoma that was previously treated with a PD1 inhibitor.

Yale researchers made an unexpected discovery—turncoat T cells that help a tumor evade other cancer-fighting immune T cells—in a study of patients living with advanced melanoma that was published Nov. 28 in Nature Immunology.

Recent advances in immunotherapy research have revealed crucial roles for new immune cells in combating cancer, leading to potential strategies to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome resistance.

Researchers have developed a three-step plan to support those burdened by the intense fear of cancer returning. This plan offers a consistent, streamlined approach to managing recurrence anxiety, empowering patients to regain confidence and move forward with their lives.

Newswise — Yale researchers made an unexpected discovery—turncoat T cells that help a tumor evade other cancer-fighting immune T cells—in a study of patients living with advanced melanoma that was published Nov. 28 in Nature Immunology.

Panelists discuss how treatment decisions in metastatic melanoma involve balancing the benefits of immunotherapy versus targeted therapy, taking into account factors such as tumor genetics, patient response, and tolerability

Panelists discuss how the RELATIVITY-047 trial data highlights the efficacy of nivolumab plus relatlimab in managing advanced melanoma, offering improved progression-free survival with a favorable safety profile compared to with nivolumab alone.

Manganese oxide nanoparticles (Mn3O4 NPs) were synthesized and modified with an LHRH-targeting peptide or anti-melanoma antibodies (cancer-targeting moieties), as well as an MMP2 cleavable peptide (a possible chemotactic agent). Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were employed to entrap the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and enhance the drug’s cytotoxicity.

Genomic heterogeneity and ploidy identify patients with intrinsic resistance to PD-1 blockade in metastatic melanoma.

In an interview, Vincent Law, of Moffitt Cancer Center, discussed a new study that offers hope for patients with melanoma brain metastasis.

Melanoma that proliferates from pigment-producing melanocytes is the deadliest form of skin cancer, which can be caused by extensive ultraviolet light exposure, especially in individuals with low levels of melanin. A

Evan Lipson, MD, an associate professor of oncology at John Hopkins School of Medicine and a head and neck oncologist at John Hopkins Medicine, discusses the evolving treatment landscape for advanced melanoma.

Second-line adjuvant treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib appeared effective in a small study of patients with BRAF V600-mutated, resected, stage III/IV melanoma, researchers found. In fact, more than 80% of patients were free from relapse and metastasis at 1 year. These results were published in The Oncologist.

Yale researchers have made an unexpected discovery—turncoat T cells that help a tumor evade other cancer-fighting immune T cells—in a study of patients living with advanced melanoma.

Bently P. Doonan, MD, discusses the utility of oncolytic viruses and the need for novel treatments after checkpoint inhibitors in advanced melanoma.

Elizabeth Buchbinder, MD, discusses the implications of the FDA’s decision to grant breakthrough therapy designation to RP1 plus nivolumab in melanoma.

Vaccines for treating and preventing cancer have long been considered a holy grail in oncology.

A significant vertical gradient in cutaneous malignant melanoma density has been identified, as melanoma density is notably higher in upper body regions like the face and ears than in lower body areas. Published in Skin Health and Disease, the study findings highlight the need for targeted sun protection strategies, particularly for high-risk areas frequently exposed to sunlight.

Panelists discuss how dual immunotherapy for melanoma, including combinations like nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab plus relatlimab, requires careful consideration of sequencing decisions based on factors such as tumor burden, patient health status, and potential toxicity profiles.

Despite the risks of sun exposure, a study found only a fraction of coaches receive adequate UV-related guidance from their associations or clubs.

ATLANTA — Researchers at the University of California San Francisco report that melanoma patients whose cancer has spread to their sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) have a greater chance of experiencing disease recurrence and mortality compared to those whose cancer has not advanced to their SLNs.

The risk for melanoma-related death was higher in individuals with tumors with a Breslow thickness of 0.8-1.0 mm than in individuals with tumors smaller than 0.8 mm, in an Australian study that used registry data.

Discover 2024 skin cancer breakthroughs, including FDA approvals, innovative therapies, and updated clinical guidelines for melanoma and nonmelanoma care.

Many earlier ctDNA studies in melanoma utilized technologies that target a narrow spectrum of recurrent driver alterations, an approach that limits application in patients with tumors lacking BRAF and NRAS mutations. In contrast, the study successfully identified ctDNA in patients with tumors lacking BRAF and NRAS mutations, suggesting that this tumor-informed approach may be informative in a wider range of patients.

Bently P. Doonan, MD, clinical assistant professor, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, the University of Florida, discusses current strategies for and associated challenges with the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma following disease progression on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Patients with primary thyroid cancer who received radioactive iodine therapy have elevated risks for melanoma and other nonkeratinocyte skin cancers, according to study findings published in JAMA Network Open.

The FDA granted a fast track designation to IMM-1-104 (Immuneering Corp.) to treat patients with unresectable or metastatic NRAS-mutant melanoma whose disease progressed or is intolerant to PD-1-/PD-L1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors.1 Currently, the treatment is undergoing evaluation in a phase 2a clinical trial (NCT05585320)2, which enrolled patients with advanced solid tumors, including melanoma.

Indoor tanning exposure was not associated with tumor mutational burden (TMB) in patients with cutaneous melanoma, in a retrospective cohort study. Higher TMB was linked to older age, head and neck tumors, and a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Patients with upstaged tumors saw an overall mortality rate of 36% vs. 19.5% in their non-upstaged counterparts.

Researchers at The University of Sydney have identified a significant increase in melanoma-related death risk for patients with thin primary tumors measuring between 0.8 and 1.0 millimeters compared to those with thinner lesions.

Arun Singh, MD, and colleagues developed a model that provides direct diagnostic prediction of a lesion being iris melanoma. He is Director of the Department of Ophthalmic Oncology, Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Main Campus Hospital, Cleveland.

Patients with resected stage 3 or 4 melanoma treated with immune-oncology agents demonstrated significantly higher cure rates compared to those treated with placebo.

Investigators from Bergen, Norway, and Cleveland, Ohio, collaborated on the predictive model

Patients with primary thyroid cancer who received radioactive iodine therapy had elevated risk for melanoma/skin cancer.

Presurgical treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab may improve tumor control in patients with stage III cutaneous melanoma, according to a recent study published by Davar et al in Cancer Cell.

Positive margins are infrequent following standard excision, but when they do occur it is mostly in the upper extremities.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with millions of cases diagnosed each year. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most frequently occurring forms, with over 4 million and 1 million cases annually, respectively.

Patients who have received a heart transplant have a significantly increased risk for melanoma compared with the general population, according to study results published in Melanoma Research.

Dr. John Fruehauf, field medical director at Evolent, and specialist in melanoma, spoke to DocWire News about some of the challenges associated with treating melanoma in stage III disease, and about the NADINA trial, which demonstrated the robust efficacy of neoadjuvant nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab in the treatment of stage III melanoma. The trial findings, which Dr. Fruehauf details, represent a new standard of care in melanoma.

Radiomic biomarkers can be leveraged to predict treatment response through assessments of tumor growth in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma treated with roginolisib (IOA-244), according to findings from a study that were presented at the 2024 SITC Annual Meeting.

Phase 1 data highlight a manageable safety profile with IMA203 among patients with melanoma and other PRAME-positive solid tumors.

Investigators in Israel compared rates of risk factors for CMM, non?melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and actinic keratosis (AK) among individuals with and without PD.

Detection of S15 and PD-L1 proteins in more than half of NSCLC samples support the potential to target both pathways during treatment.

Marghoob shares key dermoscopic features to help clinicians identify benign vs malignant lesions on various locations of the body.

The investigational PRAME-targeted T-cell therapy IMA203 generated responses in melanoma and other solid tumors,

RP1 plus nivolumab generated responses in advanced melanoma that progressed on or after prior anti–PD-1 therapy.

Glycan editing of cell surface glycans with E-602 may represent a novel therapeutic approach among patients with cancer.

Malaria remains a serious health concern, with annual deaths increasing yearly since 2019 and almost half of the world’s population at risk of infection.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a promising new approach to cancer therapy that harnesses the body’s own immune system to treat diseases like melanoma, a type of skin disease, an expert said.

Baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a significant predictor of disease progression and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) blockade therapy, according to study results published in Melanoma Research.

Victor Moreno, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, director, Clinical Research, START Madrid-Fundación Jimenez Diaz (FJD), discusses insights into the pharmacodynamic data for CLN-619, a novel humanized IgG1 antibody designed to bind to MICA and MICB, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Findings were presented by Moreno and colleagues during the 2024 SITC Annual Meeting.

TAMPA, Fla. — A new study has found that certain immune structures may be linked to better survival in patients with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The study, led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in collaboration with investigators at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.

For patients with melanoma, treatment with CAR-T cell therapy may come along with pros and cons to consider.

Collecting images of suspicious-looking skin growths and sending them off-site for specialists to analyze is as accurate in identifying skin cancers as having a dermatologist examine them in person, a new study shows.

Presurgical treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab may improve outcomes in patients with stage III cutaneous melanoma, according to a recent study published by Davar et al in Cancer Cell.

Three projects – including the Oxford-led MyMelanoma study – have been selected to join an NHS initiative, which aims to sign up tens of thousands of volunteers over the next two years to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.

A significant gap in research on psychosocial wellbeing among patients newly diagnosed with melanoma in situ (MIS) exists, according to the results of a systematic review published in Melanoma Research.

Because the prevalence and impact of immature precursor lymphoid structures known as lymphoid aggregates (LAs) remain unresolved in relation to metastatic cutaneous melanoma disease progression, researchers examined the characteristics and prognostic ability of LAs and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in histologic samples from patients with melanoma.

Accuracy in diagnosing skin cancer varies depending on the examination method used and on the physician’s specialty and experience level, according to research published in JAMA Dermatology.

The incidence rates per 1 million person-years among pediatric and adolescent/young adult patients were 1.74 and 62.05.

Evan Lipson, MD, an associate professor of oncology at John Hopkins School of Medicine and a head and neck oncologist at John Hopkins Medicine, discusses feedback he’s received from colleagues at Case-Based Roundtable events about patients with melanoma.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — A research team at UVA Health System is pioneering a new approach to treating melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.

Melanoma arising from pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes is the deadliest form of skin cancer. A major cause of melanoma is excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, from sunlight or other sources, which can trigger mutations that promote tumor formation.

A retrospective study based in the Netherlands found an apparent genetic link between blue eye color and poorer survival in patients with uveal melanoma—including a greater incidence of high-risk tumor development in patients with light eyes than in those with darker eyes—though larger, more diverse studies are needed to confirm these findings.

In a pooled analysis of long-term outcomes reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Long et al found that nivolumab plus ipilimumab was associated with better overall survival vs nivolumab monotherapy in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment–naive patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is generally declining among pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients in the United States, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Douglas B. Johnson, MD, MSCI, unpacks NCCN guideline updates in melanoma, detailing how neoadjuvant and TIL therapies have been notable advancements.

LMU researchers have discovered how the interplay between a key protein and an endolysosomal ion channel promotes tumor development in skin cancer.

A new study presented at the Society for Melanoma Research annual meeting could influence how early-stage melanoma patients are selected for sentinel node biopsy, a surgical procedure often used to determine if melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes.

Although melanoma is often referred to as Australia’s national cancer, an organised screening program is recommended for cost effectiveness and diagnosis.

The Merlin test (CP-GEP) stratifies melanoma patients based on risk for sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis, offering a powerful tool for risk-based decision-making.

The safety profile of fianlimab/cemiplimab in a phase 1 trial was consistent with prior reports of cemiplimab monotherapy.

Phase 1b findings may affirm the therapeutic potential of IMA203 for patients with previously treated metastatic melanoma.

In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable a gene mutation often seen in aggressive forms of this dangerous skin cancer that renders promising treatments ineffective.

Patients who have the low-count chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) phenotype monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (LC-MBL) have a nearly doubled risk for melanoma, according to a study in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

White patients have the highest absolute risk for a second primary melanoma, while Black and Asian or Pacific Islander patients have the highest relative risk compared with the general population, a study analyzing Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data report.

In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable a gene mutation often seen in aggressive forms of this dangerous skin cancer that renders promising treatments ineffective.

Black patients have the highest disease-specific mortality risk among patients with cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck, according to study findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Results from Society for Melanoma Research Congress demonstrated excellent predictive power of noninvasive CP-GEP Merlin test.

A research team led by Prof. Patrizia Agostinis (VIB-KU Leuven) has found that melanoma cell populations protect themselves from a form of cell death called ferroptosis by secreting the lipoprotein apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Their work appears in Science Advances.

Cutaneous head and neck melanoma (CHNM) has a worse clinicopathologic profile compared with cutaneous melanomas from other sites (CMOS), according to study findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A collaborative team of researchers, including researchers from the Doherty Institute, has been awarded a five-year, $5 million Synergy Grant?from the?National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to develop a new program of work, exploring interactions between microbiota and T cells to enhance melanoma immunotherapy.

Texas A&M University researchers are collaborating on a new project that studies how ultrasound and light can treat melanomas in pigs.

Researchers have discovered how some melanoma cells defend against oxidative stress and metastasize to new organs.

Wide local excision (WLE) may not provide significant clinical benefits for patients with early-stage malignant melanoma and Breslow thickness may be the only independent predictive factor, potentially leading to overtreatment and associated complications. These study results were published in Melanoma Research.

The global burden of melanoma increased significantly from 1990 to 2021, according to study findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company specializing in the research and development of molecular diagnostics for oncology, inflammatory, and infectious diseases, announced today the results of a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA).

The prevalence and fatality rates of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) have been rising, particularly among the elderly.

Mohs micrographic surgery with melanocytic immunostains (MMS-I) is emerging as an effective treatment option for invasive melanomas, particularly in anatomically constrained areas, due to a low risk of local recurrence and disease-specific mortality, according to study results published in Dermatologic Surgery.

The study underscores the importance of addressing work-related concerns for patients with melanoma, advocating for effective communication about rehabilitation options.

Treatment options after progression on anti–PD-1 and BRAF/MEK inhibitors have been limited but TIL therapy has expanded metastatic melanoma treatment.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Circulating antibodies against cancer-testis antigens (CTAgs) are found in stage I and stage II melanoma plasma samples, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, held from Sept. 25 to 28 in Amsterdam.

Australian researchers have shown that circulating antibodies against tumor antigens can be used as an accurate biomarker for the early detection of melanoma.

HealthDay News — Circulating antibodies against cancer-testis antigens (CTAgs) are found in stage I and stage II melanoma plasma samples, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, held from Sept. 25 to 28 in Amsterdam.

HealthDay News — Melanoma rates differ for men and women, including in terms of ages of occurrence and locations of melanoma, according to a study published online June 17 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Thach-Giao Truong, MD, medical director, Melanoma Program, Cleveland Clinic, discusses long-term findings from the phase 2 ImmunoCobiVem trial (NCT02902029) investigating early switch from targeted therapy to immunotherapy in patients with advanced BRAF V600–positive melanoma.

Newswise — Melanoma is a type of cancer that originates from melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing skin pigment, and is known as the most lethal form of skin cancer due to its high rates of metastasis and recurrence. With the global trend of aging populations, the number of melanoma patients is rapidly increasing, and it is projected that by 2040, approximately 100,000 people worldwide will die from melanoma annually. In clinical practice, melanoma is currently treated with targeted therapies that inhibit the BRAF oncogene. However, drug resistance to BRAF inhibitors develops quickly, limiting the effectiveness of these treatments.

Melanoma is a type of cancer that originates from melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing skin pigment, and is known as the most lethal form of skin cancer due to its high rates of metastasis and recurrence. With the global trend of aging populations, the number of melanoma patients is rapidly increasing, and it is projected that by 2040, approximately 100,000 people worldwide will die from melanoma annually.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have announced a new discovery in the fight against melanoma. The study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer, reveals a new mechanism behind drug resistance in melanoma and proposes potential strategies to overcome it.

Patients with wild-type metastatic melanoma that progressed on frontline PD-1 inhibition had almost a 2-year median overall survival (OS) when treated with single-agent ipilimumab (Yervoy), a small retrospective case review showed.

A melanoma diagnosis increases risk of a second primary melanoma regardless of race or ethnicity, a review of a government database showed.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Patients with a first melanoma diagnosis have an increased risk for a second melanoma diagnosis, regardless of race and ethnicity, according to a research letter published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Dermatology.

New data suggest that, among patients with first primary cutaneous melanoma, White patients have the highest absolute risk of second primary melanoma. However, Black and Asian or Pacific Islander patients have the highest relative risk of second primary melanoma when compared to the general population. These data were published in JAMA Dermatology.

Statin use may have beneficial effects on overall survival (OS) and
disease-free survival (DFS) among patients with melanoma, according
to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in
Melanoma Research.

IMA203, a TCR-T agent targeting PRAME, was active and offered meaningful
progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes in patients
with heavily pretreated melanoma, according to updated data from a phase 1b
study (NCT03686124) provided by Immatics NV.

HealthDay News — For adults aged 30 to 49 years, there has been a decline in melanoma incidence and mortality, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Dermatology to coincide with the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, held from Sept. 13 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain.

Over half (52 per cent) of people diagnosed with advanced melanoma are now surviving the disease for ten years or more when they receive a combination immunotherapy treatment, according to a study led by researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London.

Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Scancell has signed a strategic partnership agreement with PharmaJet for the supply of PharmaJet’s needle-free Stratis delivery system for the delivery of Scancell’s advanced melanoma vaccine for both clinical development and commercial use.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Cutaneous head and neck melanoma (CHNM) has a distinct clinicopathological and prognostic profile relative to cutaneous melanomas of other sites (CMOS), according to a study published online Sept. 5 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Data from the phase I KN-8701 trial suggest that combining exarafenib, an investigational pan-RAF inhibitor, with the MEK agent binimetinib is a reasonable second-line option for NRAS-mutant melanoma.

In this Maui Derm NP+PA Fall session, Tsao discusses the growing trend of TIL therapy and neoadjuvant treatment for pigmented lesions, as well as atypical clinical presentation.

Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer that has the potential to spread to other parts of the body.

(Thursday, 26 September 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands) Innovative research has unveiled promising advancements in melanoma detection, which could significantly enhance diagnosis and prognosis by identifying the disease at its earliest, most treatable stages.

Innovative research has unveiled promising advancements in melanoma detection, which could significantly enhance diagnosis and prognosis by identifying the disease at its earliest, most treatable stages.

THURSDAY, Sept. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Patients with primary thyroid cancer who receive radioactive iodine therapy have an elevated risk for melanoma and other nonkeratinocyte skin cancers when limiting the cancer site to the head and neck, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in JAMA Network Open.

Meredith McKean, MD, executive committee chair, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Program, executive committee chair, BRIDGE Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the rationale for combining fianlimab with cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma and highlights long-term follow-up data with the combination. Notably, these phase 1 trial (NCT03005782) data were shared at the 2024 ESMO Congress.

Major Finding: Age-associated changes in male fibroblasts induce a phenotypic switch to invasive and resistant melanoma.

TH17 cells may be a potential biomarker to predict the risk of immune-related adverse events in patients with metastatic melanoma receiving the combination therapy of nivolumab, ipilimumab, and tocilizumab.

Ten-year follow up from the CheckMate 067 and KEYNOTE-006 trials confirm that patients with advanced melanoma can achieve durable responses from treatment with the PD1 inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab and that a lack of disease progression at 3 years is strong indicator of long-term survival.

Patients with advanced melanoma reach a plateau in survival after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), according to real-world data published in JAMA Network Open.

As Australian patients begin to spend more time in the sun, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has urged patients to organise a skin check with their GP to ensure dangerous skin cancers are detected and treated early.

Swedish medical detection company SciBase Holding has seen its artificial intelligence (AI) powered device for detecting melanomas, dubbed Nevisense, validated as part of a consensus report that found it effective in detecting potential cancers.

Health-related quality of life among patients with stage 3 melanoma was not significantly affected after receiving postsurgical Keytruda or placebo.

Drug therapies for the treatment of melanoma are advancing, and many now play a role for the treatment of earlier stage disease, according to new research.

A new algorithm has found that combining immune checkpoint inhibitors bolsters immune response among some patients with advanced melanoma.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — About 8 to 10 million Americans over age 40 have an overabundance of cloned white blood cells, or lymphocytes, that hamper their immune systems. Although many who have this condition — called monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) — do not experience any symptoms, a new study shows they may have an elevated risk for several health complications, including melanoma, a form of skin cancer. The findings, by Mayo Clinic researchers, are published in a new paper in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

PHILADELPHIA (September 6, 2024) — In a study published today in the prestigious journal Cell, researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center showed changes that occur with age in male skin fibroblasts contributed to an increase in the spread of melanoma cells and made cancer cells resistant to targeted therapy.

IBI363 has earned fast track designation from the FDA for the treatment of previously treated unresectable advanced melanoma.

The results of newly reported research in human cells and in mice, carried out by scientists at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, suggest that age-related changes in fibroblasts contribute to the development of aggressive, treatment-resistant melanoma in males. The researchers, co-led by Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, E.V. McCollum Professor, and chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins, found that human skin fibroblasts—cells that create the skin’s structure—show age-and sex-specific changes in proliferation and stress response, and that male fibroblasts age faster due to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Excision with 5-mm margins for melanoma in situ that is less than 10 mm in size on low-risk body sites is associated with a low recurrence rate, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Ultraviolet (UV) exposure remains associated with an increased risk for melanoma in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types I to IV, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published online Sept. 4 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Melanoma is the 17th most common cancer in the world, with over 300,000 patients diagnosed worldwide in 2022 alone.

Melanoma is a malignant type of skin cancer and is the fifth most common type of cancer in the United States.

From the RELATIVITY-047 (NCT03470922) and CheckMate 067 (NCT01844505) trials, what are the most important efficacy and safety data?

Melanoma rates differ consistently between men and women in terms of the ages at which melanomas occur and the locations on the body where they occur.

Appetite change, tiredness, lymph node enlargement, abdominal pain and shortness of breath were common with melanoma recurrence.

The standard of care for resectable stage IIIB or greater melanoma has been neoadjuvant therapy, and new data shows that neoadjuvant immunotherapy provides a long-lasting benefit to these patients, particularly if they achieve a major pathological response (MPR), which is a complete response or a near complete pathological response.

Ahmad Tarhini, MD, PhD, director, Cutaneous Clinical and Translational Research, leader, Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Translational Science Program, senior member, Moffitt Cancer Center, Research Institute Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology; professor, Oncologic Sciences, the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine; chair, Scientific Committee, Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN); chair, ORIEN ImmunoOncology Research Subcommittee, discusses the rationale for investigating high-dose bolus interleukin-2 (IL-2) plus concurrent low-dose ipilimumab (Yervoy), followed sequentially by nivolumab (Opdivo), in patients with advanced melanoma.

Adverse effects from immunotherapy treatment in melanoma patients are associated with a distinct pattern of
gene expression, offering the possibility for improved therapeutic strategies.

For patients with a high burden of non-melanoma cancers, there is more to prevention than just sun avoidance and regular checks and excisions.

Adjuvant pembrolizumab did not have a significant impact on long-term HRQOL outcomes in patients with resected stage III melanoma.

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) may serve as a viable tool to stratify patients based on their risk of invasive melanoma, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

Toni English’s medical team was giddy.

For patients diagnosed with uveal melanoma, what is the prognosis and the risk of recurrence?

Experts discuss unmet needs and challenges faced by patients with uveal melanoma. This program was made possible with support from Immunocore.

In this study, the investigators retrospectively analyzed the incidence of metastasis in 8,034 patients with uveal melanoma over a 35-year period based on tumor size category.

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget entitled, “Prognostic and therapeutic insights into MIF, DDT, and CD74 in melanoma."

About 8 to 10 million Americans over age 40 have an overabundance of cloned white blood cells, or lymphocytes, that hamper their immune systems. Although many who have this condition — called monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) — do not experience any symptoms, a new study shows they may have an elevated risk for several health complications, including melanoma, a form of skin cancer. The findings, by Mayo Clinic researchers, are published in a new paper in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The risk of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, now appears to be decreasing in Sweden—at least in those under 50, according to a new study.

Researchers tailored screening and surveillance schedules to individual risk of patients.

Microbiotica has received the green light from EU and UK regulatory authorities to start phase 1b studies for its microbiome medicines in advanced melanoma and ulcerative colitis.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD, and participants considered nivolumab/ipilimumab and nivolumab/relatlimab as options for a patient with metastatic melanoma in the first article of a 2-part series.

Updated findings from the phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-047 trial (NCT03470922) showing sustained responses and favorable survival outcomes with nivolumab (Opdivo) plus relatlimab-rmbw (Opdualag) in previously untreated patients with metastatic or unresectable melanoma signal the diminishing role for anti–PD-1 monotherapy in the frontline setting, according to Ankit Mangla, MD.

PHILADELPHIA – A new tool for monitoring immune health patterns over time has revealed how a pair of checkpoint inhibitor therapies works together to recruit new cancer-fighting T cells with every infusion. Findings from the use of the new tool, developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC), were published today in Cancer Cell. The study challenges fundamental assumptions about how a common immunotherapy drug combination activates different types of T cells to defeat cancer and could help researchers more precisely measure immune response in future clinical trials.

Treatment induced sustained T-cell responses among patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

A retrospective cohort study by Yale Cancer Center researchers of nearly 200 patients with melanoma who died after receiving treatment with immunotherapy highlights a need to improve outcomes for patients after the treatment.

In an analysis from the phase III EORTC 1325-MG/KEYNOTE-054 trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Bührer et al found that adjuvant pembrolizumab was not associated with significant differences in long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared with placebo in patients with stage III melanoma.

Allison Betof Warner, MD, PhD, and the Oncology Brothers share clinical insights on treatment decisions for patients with metastatic melanoma.

An activity pattern in certain genes responsible for building proteins known as spleen tyrosine kinases can predict which melanoma patients are likely to have severe side effects from immunotherapy designed to treat the most deadly skin cancer, a new study shows.

A new research paper titled “Chemical complementarity of tumor resident, T-cell receptor CDR3s and renalase-1 correlates with increased melanoma survival" has been published in Oncotarget.

The cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, garnered immune responses of 30 weeks among some patients with melanoma and lung cancer, study results showed.

For decades, researchers have worked to develop therapies that can prime the immune system to recognize and attack proteins on the surface of tumor cells.

Medical oncologists provide comprehensive insights on neoadjuvant therapy options for patients with melanoma.

Hispanic men with cutaneous melanoma receive melanoma diagnoses at an older age, show advanced-stage disease, present with melanoma of the trunk rather than lower extremities, and have reduced disease-specific survival when compared with Hispanic women with melanoma, according to study results published in Skin Health and Disease.

BUFFALO, NY- August 8, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Oncotarget’s Volume 15 on August 5, 2024, entitled, “Chemical complementarity of tumor resident, T-cell receptor CDR3s and renalase-1 correlates with increased melanoma survival.”

Scientists at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center have revealed that an activity pattern in genes that build spleen tyrosine kinases can predict which melanoma patients are likely to have severe side effects from immunotherapy.

An activity pattern in certain genes responsible for building proteins known as spleen tyrosine kinases may predict the occurrence of severe side effects from immunotherapy in patients with melanoma, according to a recent study published by Monson et al in Clinical Cancer Research.

The spleen tyrosine kinase pathway was upregulated in patients that had severe toxicities from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget’s Volume 15 on August 5, 2024, entitled, “Chemical complementarity of tumor resident, T-cell receptor CDR3s and renalase-1 correlates with increased melanoma survival."

Drs Armstrong and Tawagi discuss the NADINA trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab/ipilimumab vs adjuvant nivolumab in resectable, macroscopic, stage III melanoma.

In an analysis from the phase III CheckMate 238 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jeffrey Weber, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that progression-free and overall survival were improved with subsequent systemic therapy following late vs early recurrence with adjuvant nivolumab in patients with resected stage IIIB–C or IV melanoma.

A sNDA seeking the approval of toripalimab for frontline use in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma is under review by the NMPA.

Two studies published in the latest issue of the journal Cell by University of Pittsburgh researchers uncover how immunotherapies targeting the immune checkpoints PD1 and LAG3 work together to activate immune responses.

Georgina V. Long, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, co-medical director, Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), and chair, Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research, MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney, discusses the remaining unmet needs for patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma and how data from the phase 3 NADINA trial (NCT04949113) could help address some of these needs.

The conventional treatment paradigms for melanoma and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have historically centered around surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

New studies have uncovered how immunotherapies targeting the immune checkpoints PD1 and LAG3 work in concert to active immune responses and may improve outcomes in patients with melanoma compared with monotherapies targeting only PD1.

Ahmad Tarhini, MD, PhD, director, Cutaneous Clinical and Translational Research, leader, Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Translational Science Program, senior member, Moffitt Cancer Center, Research Institute Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology; professor, Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine; chair, Scientific Committee, Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN); chair, ORIEN ImmunoOncology Research Subcommittee, discusses the use of high-dose bolus interleukin-2 (IL-2) with concurrent low-dose ipilimumab (Yervoy), followed sequentially by nivolumab (Opdivo), in patients with advanced melanoma.

Time magazine and Time for Kids has chosen its 2024 Kid of the Year — and it’s Heman Bekele, a teenager who could change the way skin cancer is treated.

Michelle Bolas and Rukiyah T. Van Dross-Anderson, PhD, discuss the significance of NCInnovations’ funding and the clinical impact of Van Dross-Anderson’s research in patients with advanced melanoma.

Melanomas that develop from giant pigmented nevi are diagnosed in younger patients more commonly than other melanomas; and while more these are more aggressive in patients younger than 10 years of age, they are mostly localized at the time of diagnosis, according to study results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A study explored a new approach to treating melanoma that has spread to the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (leptomeningeal disease or LMD).

Citing toxicities and lack of efficacy, some are calling for caution when treating older patients with melanoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Paolo Ascierto, MD, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy, discusses primary results from the phase 2 NEO-TIM trial which sought to determine the optimal sequencing of vemurafenib, cobimetinib, and atezolizumab among patients with patients with high-risk melanoma.

Researchers have found that among patients with certain melanoma, presurgical targeted therapy and immunotherapy can result in better pathologic response.

Imagine tiny fists punching their way through your body.

Uveal melanoma is a rare cancer type with an incidence of 7.6 per million adults in Australia and represents around 5% of all melanomas.

Researchers use molecular imaging to uncover the genetic factors that drive this aggressive skin cancer

OBX-115 is a novel engineered tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy designed to treat patients with checkpoint inhibitor-resistant metastatic melanoma.

The addition of RNA expression of the cancer-testis antigen PRAME (preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma) to a 15-gene expression profile (15-GEP) offered significantly improved and more precise prognostic information over the 15-GEP alone.

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a set of nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system in mice to fight cancer and may eventually do the same in humans.

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget entitled, “Prognostic and therapeutic insights into MIF, DDT, and CD74 in melanoma."

A few studies have highlighted the differences between healthcare professionals with CVD and those with normal color vision.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in combination with high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) should be considered as a second-line treatment of choice for patients with advanced melanoma who have received anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, according to researchers.

BioNTech has announced positive topline findings from an ongoing phase 2 trial (NCT04526899) evaluating the investigational mRNA cancer immunotherapy BNT111 in combination with cemiplimab (Libtayo) for patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma who experienced disease progression following anti-PD-(L)1 therapy.

An immunotherapy combination improved outcomes compared with historical control for certain patients with advanced melanoma, according to a topline data announcement.

WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Site-specific melanoma incidence trends may be partially related to genetic risk, according to a study published online July 19 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Integrating 15-GEP with PRAME expression status into a 4-group prognostic classification system showed prognostic accuracy in uveal melanoma.

Cong Peng et al., at Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China, conducted a study titled “NETO2 promotes melanoma progression via activation of the Ca²?/CaMKII signaling pathway" that investigates the role of Neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 (NETO2) in melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

Excision with 5-mm margins for melanoma in situ that is less than 10 mm in size on low-risk body sites is associated with a low recurrence rate, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

Cong Peng and others at the Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China, conducted a study titled “NETO2 promotes melanoma progression via activation of the Ca2+/CaMKII signaling pathway," which investigated the role of Neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 (NETO2) in melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

Allison Betof Warner, MD, PhD, joins Rahul Gosain, MD, and Rohit Gosain, MD, to discuss treatment practices for patients with stage IIB and beyond melanoma.

Georgina V. Long, MD, PhD, of the Melanoma Institute Australia and the University of Sydney, and colleagues reported the final follow-up analysis of the phase III COMBI-AD trial at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 9500) and published their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Yu-Hwa Huang, Ph.D. and Charles Yoon, MD, of the Department of Medicine and Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital respectively, are co-lead authors of a paper titled “High-dimensional mapping of human CEACAM1 expression on immune cells and association with melanoma drug resistance," published in Communications Medicine. In this article, they discuss their findings.

Melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, poses a significant global health concern.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company specializing in the research and development of molecular diagnostics for oncology, inflammatory, and infectious diseases, proudly announces the successful enrollment of the MERLIN_001 study.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to OBX-115 for the treatment of metastatic, or locally advanced melanoma that is refractory to, or has relapsed after programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)–based immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

In September 2023, a new feature was added to ChatGPT (OpenAI) that allows the analysis of images, including those obtained through dermatoscopy.

Melanoma was the topic of some of the most exciting abstracts at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Rosacea patients have more than five times the risk of developing a malignant melanoma and a greater risk of several other systemic conditions, according to researchers.

Sun C, Lim A, De’Ambrosis B, et al. Recurrence Rate of Small Melanoma in Situ on Low-Risk Sites Excised With 5-mm Excisional Margin. JAMA Dermatol (2024).

(Vienna, 16 July 2024) Targeted therapies are a powerful weapon against skin cancer, but their side effects can severely impact a patient’s quality of life.

NADINA trial results support a new standard of care for these patients.

An exciting biologic drug called brenetafusp is being studied, and showing real promise, in treating advanced cutaneous melanoma.

For those living with advanced melanoma, brain metastases— malignant growths that occur when cancer cells travel to the brain—are particularly challenging to treat.

Nikhil Khushalani, MD, vice chair, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the benefits and limitations of fixed-dose treatment regimens, such as the combination of fianlimab (formerly REGN 3767) and cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) that is under investigation in the phase 3 HARMONY HEAD TO HEAD trial (NCT06246916) in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

In patients with resected stage III melanoma, adjuvant therapy with dabrafenib plus trametinib reduces the risk for death by 20% compared with placebo, though the overall survival benefit does not reach statistical significance.

Australians are unable to recognize malignant melanomas on their own skin, calling into question the effectiveness of national self-detection guidelines, according to new Southern Cross University research.

A new cancer vaccine targeting melanoma, currently the subject of a phase 2 trial, has shown “promising” results, as one researcher tells CURE®.

In a phase I trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Omid Hamid, MD, and colleagues found that the combination of the human lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3)-targeting monoclonal antibody fianlimab plus the PD-1–targeting monoclonal antibody cemiplimab-rwlc was active in patients with advanced melanoma.

In February 2021, a pair of remarkable clinical trials was published1,2. Each one involved people with melanoma. Some participants had been successfully treated using drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors, which help the body to destroy cancer cells. The others had failed to respond to the treatment.

Patients with rosacea have an increased risk for malignant melanoma, joint problems, metabolic disease and visual disturbances, according to a study.

Among people diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in the United States, those who live in rural areas have significantly lower rates of survival than those who live in urban areas, results from an analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute showed.

Milwaukee — Today, the Froedtert & MCW Cancer Network announced it will begin to offer new treatment to patients with advanced melanoma. Lifileucel, created by Iovance, is the first cell therapy treatment to be FDA approved for the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy given for stage III melanoma, followed by adjuvant therapy only if there is not a deep response to treatment, promises better outcomes for patients than the current standard of care, which is adjuvant immunotherapy alone.

Mektovi (binimetinib) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat certain types of cancer. Mektovi can cause side effects that range from mild to serious. Examples include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

UC San Diego Health is the first hospital system in the region to offer a new immunotherapy treatment for metastatic melanoma. The personalized cellular therapy derived from tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), is the first solid tumor therapy on the market approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The oncolytic immunotherapy RP1 in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo) displayed activity in patients with melanoma who failed prior anti–PD-1 treatment, according to updated findings from the phase 2 IGNYTE trial (NCT03767348).

An international research team led by scientists from the University of Liège has discovered an interesting new therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma resistant to targeted therapies.

Investigators examined 100 metastases and developed a Uveal Melanoma Immunogenomic Score to predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is an effective yet very expensive treatment for melanoma.

Investigators may have uncovered sex-based disparities in the detection and survival of melanoma in Black patients, according to a recent study published by Steadman et al in the Journal of Surgical Oncology.

Researchers say addressing socioeconomic differences may be the key to addressing this disparity.

PARTICIPANT LIST Raymond Lobins, DO | David Potter, MD | Mark Karwal, MD | Shahid Waheed, MD | Somasekhara R. Bandi, MD | Christiane Zoghbi, MD | Hilary Ufearo, MBBS

If melanoma spreads, there are various therapies that can be used. However, there is still insufficient research into who responds to which therapy and whether resistance may develop over time.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Evan J. Lipson, MD, discussed with participants whether factors such as patient preference influence their choice of melanoma treatment in the second article of a 2-part series.

Jose Lutzky, MD, discussed the promise of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for difficult-to-treat advanced melanoma.

Click here to read more and answer our quiz questions in recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Earlier this week, we shared our third Skin Cancer Awareness Month quiz. Review the answers and your responses below.

In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Dermatology Times is reviewing research and strides in skin cancer treatment over the last decade.

When it comes to skin cancer, most people think of warnings about sunburn and tanning beds.

Andrew Baker, MBA, MPAS, PA-C, discusses his role in skin cancer detection and advice for PAs interested in skin surgeries and Mohs closures.

The personalized cancer vaccine research paradigm is expanding, with particular advancements occurring in patients with high-risk melanoma, in whom vaccines have been shown to induce and strengthen responses to immunotherapy, according to Patrick Ott, MD, PhD.

A person’s genetics play a more prominent role in melanoma than previously believed, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy is a promising new approach for treating advanced melanoma. It leverages the power of a patient’s own immune system to combat cancer cells.

An artificial intelligence-based smartphone app used by primary care physicians showed high diagnostic accuracy in detecting cutaneous melanoma.

On the left melanoma cells (in green) can be seen surviving in the presence of cytotoxic lymphocytes (red), when they express one of these immunosuppressive proteins.

While checkpoint inhibitors are a mainstay in the field of advanced melanoma treatment, novel and reimagined therapies offer new hope for this challenging disease state.

A new study found proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is associated with an increased cutaneous melanoma risk.

Almost two-thirds of patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma are expected to die within five years, but a newly approved treatment may help some patients live longer.

Age-related changes to the skin’s elasticity may drive higher rates of metastatic skin cancer among older individuals, according to study results.

A recent study shows that there may be a more effective way to treat melanoma by using ascorbate (vitamin C) to increase DNA damage in cancer cells, leading to their death, according to co-corresponding author of the study Marcus Cooke, professor and chair in the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, and SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx announces the presentation of groundbreaking data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 Annual Meeting.

Immunotherapy is an effective yet very expensive treatment for melanoma.

Investigators may have uncovered sex-based disparities in the detection and survival of melanoma in Black patients, according to a recent study published by Steadman et al in the Journal of Surgical Oncology.

Researchers say addressing socioeconomic differences may be the key to addressing this disparity.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Michael B. Atkins, MD, discussed the choice of therapy for a 78-year-old patient with metastatic melanoma with participants.

If melanoma spreads, there are various therapies that can be used. However, there is still insufficient research into who responds to which therapy and whether resistance may develop over time.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Evan J. Lipson, MD, discussed with participants whether factors such as patient preference influence their choice of melanoma treatment in the second article of a 2-part series.

Jose Lutzky, MD, discussed the promise of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for difficult-to-treat advanced melanoma.

Click here to read more and answer our quiz questions in recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Earlier this week, we shared our third Skin Cancer Awareness Month quiz. Review the answers and your responses below.

In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Dermatology Times is reviewing research and strides in skin cancer treatment over the last decade.

When it comes to skin cancer, most people think of warnings about sunburn and tanning beds. Thoughts of “cancer genes" or inherited risks are reserved for diseases like breast cancer or colon cancer. A new study challenges this status quo by showing that genetics play a larger role in melanoma risk than recognized.

Andrew Baker, MBA, MPAS, PA-C, discusses his role in skin cancer detection and advice for PAs interested in skin surgeries and Mohs closures.

The personalized cancer vaccine research paradigm is expanding, with particular advancements occurring in patients with high-risk melanoma, in whom vaccines have been shown to induce and strengthen responses to immunotherapy, according to Patrick Ott, MD, PhD.

A person’s genetics play a more prominent role in melanoma than previously believed, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy is a promising new approach for treating advanced melanoma. It leverages the power of a patient’s own immune system to combat cancer cells.

An artificial intelligence-based smartphone app used by primary care physicians showed high diagnostic accuracy in detecting cutaneous melanoma.

By investigating the origin and evolution of melanoma, several groups at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), who are international leaders in the field, have come up with promising strategies.

While checkpoint inhibitors are a mainstay in the field of advanced melanoma treatment, novel and reimagined therapies offer new hope for this challenging disease state. These therapies include using older agents like interluekin-2 (IL-2) or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and modifying them to make their activity more potent against melanoma. Additionally, oncolytic vaccines administered into the tumor or systemically can help to sensitize the immune system and improve the response to checkpoint inhibitors.

A new study found a greater PCSK9 is associated with a greater cutaneous melanoma risk.

Age-related changes to the skin’s elasticity may drive higher rates of metastatic skin cancer among older individuals, according to study results.

A recent study shows that there may be a more effective way to treat melanoma by using ascorbate (vitamin C) to increase DNA damage in cancer cells, leading to their death, according to co-corresponding author of the study Marcus Cooke, professor and chair in the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, and SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SkylineDx announces the presentation of groundbreaking data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 Annual Meeting.

Daniel Olson, MD, assistant professor, medicine, the University of Chicago Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, discusses the benefit associated with lifileucel (Amtagvi) in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, highlighting patients likely to derive the most benefit from this treatment approach.

Results of a systematic review provide insights that may help guide surveillance in patients with melanoma, but the results also suggest more data are needed to identify optimal surveillance strategies, according to researchers. The researchers shared their findings in Surgical Oncology.

Vishal Patel, MD, FAAD, FACMS, associate professor, Dermatology, George Washington (GW) School of Medicine & Health Sciences; director, Cutaneous Oncology Program, GW Cancer Center, discusses the evolving use of PD-1 inhibitors for patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting.

Desai emphasized that most dermatologists would rather biopsy a potential melanoma than miss one that could become deadly.

During a Case-Based Roundtable® event, Evan J. Lipson, MD, discussed with participants how their experience with immunotherapy toxicities has changed over time in the first article of a 2-part series.

Intravenous infusion with OBX-115, an IL-2–free, regulatable, engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy was well tolerated and produced durable antitumor responses in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-resistant advanced melanoma, according to data from a first-in-human, single-center, phase 1 study (NCT05470283) presented at the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting.

A retrospective analysis out of Denmark could not find a causal relationship to explain trends in melanoma incidence and mortality rates, demonstrating the need for more research in this area.

Although dual suppression of the mTOR and MAPK pathways could be a viable therapy avenue for patients with pretreated advanced melanoma, overcoming overlapping toxicities when combining these types of therapies will be paramount, according to Zeynep Eroglu, MD.

Despite an increasing prevalence of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) worldwide, CMM-associated mortality has decreased in recent years, according to study results published in Melanoma Research.

The study aimed to improve the understanding of lived experiences and the fear of recurrence among survivors of localized, stage 0 to IIA cutaneous melanoma.

Zeynep Eroglu, MD, medical oncologist, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center; assistant professor, Department of Oncologic Sciences, the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, discusses unmet needs that currently exist for patients with mutant melanoma, highlighting a phase 1/2 trial (NCT03501368) that evaluated ceritinib (Zykadia) alone and in combination with trametinib (Mekinist) for these patients.

Immunogenomic factors were found to be predictive of resistance to immunotherapy and to tumor susceptibility to the therapeutic class in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, according to findings from a study published in Nature Communications.

A multipeptide vaccine combination approach with 12MP plus 6MHP vs 12MP plus tet extended overall survival in patients with stage IIB to IV melanoma.

Encorafenib, given with or without binimetinib, provides long-term benefits for patients with BRAF V600E/K-mutant advanced melanoma, according to results from the phase 3 COLUMBUS trial published in the European Journal of Cancer.

Our May issue of Dermatology Times spotlights melanoma/skin cancer awareness and more.

Alpha-9 Oncology has dosed the first participant in its study evaluating Ga-A9-3202 for the imaging of melanoma.