Targeted Therapy Combo Boosts Survival for Advanced Melanoma Patients
November 20th 2013Metastatic melanoma patients treated with a dabrafenib/trametinib combination experienced a 3.6-month increase in overall survival compared with patients treated with dabrafenib alone. The results were not statistically significant, partly due to the crossover design of the trial.
ASH: Quizartinib Active in Subset of AML Patients
December 10th 2012Final results of a cohort from a phase II monotherapy trial of quizartinib in acute myeloid leukemia patients showed that more than half of patients 60 years of age and older who harbored an internal tandem duplication in the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 had a composite complete remission.
Ipilimumab Shows Activity in Metastatic Melanoma Patients With Brain Metastases
April 11th 2012A study published last month shows that the melanoma drug ipilimumab has activity in melanoma patients whose cancer has spread to the brain. Long-term survival of melanoma patients with brain metastases was comparable to survival of metastatic melanoma patients without brain metastases.
High-Dose of Vitamin A May Decrease Melanoma Risk
March 2nd 2012A study published this week shows that taking retinol, a form of vitamin A, results in a decrease in the risk of developing melanoma. The effect is limited to those who took vitamin A in excess of standard multivitamin guidelines and was more pronounced in women than in men.
How the Melanoma Treatment Vemurafenib Causes Growth of Secondary Skin Tumors
January 21st 2012In a rare case where the side effect of a cancer treatment can be explained through molecular studies, researchers have identified the reason behind the frequent skin lesion side effect among metastatic melanoma patients that take the newly approved drug vemurafenib.
Melanoma International Congress: Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Combinations Touted
November 22nd 2011Immunotherapy is finally getting the cancer clinical and research community excited: A large portion of the presentation and discussion at the Melanoma International Congress, held in Tampa, Florida last week focused on immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of the disease.
Updates From the Melanoma International Congress: Targeted Therapy Trials in Metastatic Melanoma
November 14th 2011With positive read-outs from trials over the last two years and approval of two new agents for the disease, Yervoy and Zelboraf, the field is already looking to new agents and combination trials to improve patient outcomes and survival.
Do Social Media and Blogs Have a Positive Impact on Patient Quality of Life?
May 12th 2011Last week, well-known Canadian blogger Derek Miller's final blog entry was posted on his site, penmachine.com. Miller, who died on May 3 at the age of 41, was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer in 2007.
Researchers at UCLA to Use Nanoscale Vaults in Treating Lung Cancer
May 4th 2011Researchers at UCLA have engineered “vaults,” barrel-shaped nanoscale capsules found in the cytoplasm of mammalian cells, to slowly release chemokine CCL21 into tumors. CCL21 is a protein that, in pre-clinical studies in mice with lung cancer, stimulated the immune system to recognize and attack the cancer cells.
Vandetanib Now Available to U.S. Patients with Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer
April 25th 2011AstraZeneca today announced that the orphan drug vandetanib is now available to U.S. patients for the treatment of medullary thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or that has spread to other parts of the body.
Whole-Genome Study of ER+ Breast Tumors: Treatment Clues and Complexity
April 8th 2011The study represents one of the largest cancer genomics investigations reported, with more than 10 trillion chemical bases of DNA sequenced. While its results underscore the complexity of breast cancer biology, the mutations uncovered may provide further clues to inform personalized therapy of this common breast cancer subtype.
The Role of Patients, Clinicians, and Payers in Comparative Effectiveness Research
March 30th 2011Speaking at the ACCC last Friday, Sean Tunis, founder and director of the Center for Medical Technology Policy, gave a basic primer on what he sees as the primary goal of comparative effectiveness research.
100th International Women’s Day: Focus on Cancer
March 9th 2011Today, March 8, is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Here is a small sampling of initiatives by health organizations and healthcare leaders dedicated to treating, preventing, and increasing awareness of women’s cancers, and improving women’s health.