For patients with suspected malignant melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma, most patients are happy to receive biopsy results by letter or telephone, according to a research letter published online Feb. 8 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Scientific Publications
High-Dose Interferon No Benefit in Melanoma With Single Positive SLN
Adjuvant high-dose interferon alfa-2b (HDI) did not improve survival in patients with melanoma and single tumor–positive lymph nodes found using sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, according to the results from the Sunbelt Melanoma Trial. In addition, HDI also did not improve survival for patients positive for disease found using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) compared with observation alone.
Inherited Genetic Markers Predictive of Survival Prognosis for Patients with Melanoma
Prognosis for patients with cutaneous melanoma may be predicted by an inherited genetic marker that provides a personalized tool to gauge a person’s survival and determine if closer monitoring is needed in the years following surgery. These findings, from a novel analysis of immunoregulatory pathways, were published in Clinical Cancer Research (doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-15-2066).
MAPK Inhibitor Combo Produces 2-Year Overall Survival in Metastatic Melanoma
A median overall survival of longer than 2 years was achieved in a group of patients with metastatic melanoma assigned to treatment with the combination of two MAPK inhibitors, dabrafenib and trametinib, according to the results of a study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. In fact, results showed that as many as one in five patients treated with the combination remained free of progression at 3 years.