New Patient Resource: NCCN Guidelines for Patients With Squamous Cell Skin Cancer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) has published a new book of patient information that explains prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for squamous cell skin cancer. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers are responsible for about 5 million annual incidents of nonmelanoma...
Is the Presence of Nevi on Extremities a Risk Factor for Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers?
The presence of nevi is an established risk factor for melanoma. In light of this, researchers examined the association between the presence of nevi on extremities and the risk of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Their findings were published by Wei et al in the Journal of the American...
A Single Dose of a PD-1 Inhibitor Before Surgery May Predict Outcomes in Patients With Melanoma
A single dose of a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor before resection for melanoma may predict clinical outcomes for patients. Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania—who documented this finding in the largest cohort of patients to be...
2019 AAD: Disadvantages and Potential Improvements of Artificial Intelligence in Skin Cancer Detection
While artificial intelligence (AI) systems for skin cancer detection have shown promise in research settings, there is still a lot of work to be done before the technology is appropriate for real-world use. This was the topic of a scientific session at the 2019 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) ...
AACR 2019: Diet May Influence Gut Microbiome and Response to Immunotherapy
Among patients with melanoma treated with anti–programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy, consumption of a high-fiber diet was associated with higher gut microbiome diversity and better response to treatment, according to data presented by Spencer et al at a presscast in advance of ...
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: Can Genetic Polymorphisms Help Select Patients for Treatment With Bexarotene?
Bexarotene is a retinoid approved for the treatment of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) who have not responded to at least one previous treatment regimen. Hypertrigylceridemia is the most frequent adverse event related to treatment with bexarotene in CTCL. Even with prophylactic...
FDA Approves Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Melanoma
On February 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with lymph node involvement following complete resection. Approval was based on the phase III EORTC1325/KEYNOTE-054 trial, a randomized, double-blind,...
First-Line Pembrolizumab in Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma
In a phase II trial (Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network-09/Keynote-017) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nghiem et al found that first-line pembrolizumab produced a high response rate in patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma. In the multicenter trial, 50 adult patients who had ...
Updated German Guidelines for Basal Cell Carcinoma
The German S2k guidelines for cutaneous basal cell carcinoma were recently updated to include new developments regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, and histology of the disease. Commissioned by the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group of the German Cancer Society and the German Society of...
In Vitro and Ex Vivo Activity of Gentian Violet in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
As reported in JAMA Dermatology, Jianqiang Wu, MD, PhD, and Gary S. Wood, MD, found that the widely available nonprescription topical antimicrobial agent gentian violet has potent activity against cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in studies in vitro and ex vivo. The study involved high-throughput ...
Neoadjuvant Combination Checkpoint Blockade in Advanced Melanoma
Neoadjuvant combination checkpoint blockade showed activity among patients with high-risk stage III melanoma in a small study. However, a high incidence of side effects caused the trial to be closed early. These results were published by Rodabe N. Amaria, MD, Assistant Professor of Melanoma...
Real-World Treatment Impact of Newer Agents on Survival of Patients With Metastatic Melanoma
The approval of several new agents for metastatic melanoma in the past several years has led to changes in how the disease is treated and managed. Treatments such as the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, and nivolumab; BRAF inhibitors; and MEK inhibitors...
HLA Mismatch and Skin Cancer Risk After Organ Transplant
Data on the risk factors for the development of skin cancer after a solid organ transplant are limited. In a retrospective cohort study, researchers sought to determine the relationship between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch and risk of skin cancer after transplant. Their findings were...
How Effective Is Talimogene Laherparepvec Injection in Metastatic Melanoma?
Injection of a genetically modified virus that induces the body’s own immune cells to attack metastatic melanoma effectively treated almost 40% of patients with tumors that could not be surgically removed, according to findings published by Louie et al in the Journal of the American...
FDA Pipeline: Updates on Treatments in NSCLC and Lymphomas, Plus New Dosimetry Software
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted the following application, designations, and clearance: sBLA for Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Metastatic, Nonsquamous NSCLC On January 17, the FDA accepted a supplemental biologics license application...
2018 Update of WHO-EORTC Classification of Primary Cutaneous Lymphomas
As reported by Willemze and colleagues in Blood, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) have released a 2018 update of their classification of primary cutaneous lymphomas. As noted by the authors, “Primary cutaneous...
Surgical Factors Contributing to Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma Recurrence
Invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is typically treated surgically, with guidelines in place recommending surgical margins for excision based on the SCC being classified as low or high risk. Researchers undertook a study to examine recurrence rates of SCC after surgical excision, taking into...
Molecular Profiles of BRAF-Mutant Melanomas and Response to Therapy
A study investigating the clinicopathologic features of BRAF V600E– and V600K–mutant melanomas and whether genotype affects response to immunotherapy found that the mutations not only have different clinical phenotypes, but also different molecular features and different...
Association Between Sun Exposure and BMI in the Development of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
Exposure to the sun, whether cumulative or intermittent, is a known risk factor for the development of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Past studies have found that greater body mass index (BMI) actually lessens the risk of women developing NMSCs. With this in mind, researchers sought to determine...
Pilot Study of Intratumoral G100 in Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Multiple recent reports have addressed the activity of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and avelumab, in Merkel cell carcinoma. However, approximately half of all patients who receive these agents do not maintain a persistent response. In an...
Optimal Duration of Checkpoint Inhibition in Melanoma Is No More Than 2 Years
For patients with advanced melanoma, the concept of treating to disease progression does not always apply. With many patients responding to checkpoint inhibition for years, when can treatment be safely discontinued? This important clinical question was addressed at the European Society for Medical...
ESMO Immuno-Oncology 2018: OpACIN Trial: Neoadjuvant Ipilimumab Plus Nivolumab in Stage III Melanoma
Updated data of the OpACIN study, which studied combined ipilimumab (Yervoy) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) administered as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk stage III melanoma, demonstrated high response rates upon neoadjuvant therapy and promising long-term clinical outcome,...
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. The FDA’s approval was based on Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network protocol 9...
ESMO Immuno-Oncology 2018: Does Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy Impact the Efficacy of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab?
Patients with melanoma receiving proton pump inhibitors for comorbidities derived approximately half the clinical benefit from immunotherapy consisting of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) as patients receiving the same combination but not treated with proton pump inhibitors, according to ...
Aggressive Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in recipients of a solid organ transplant. When organ transplant recipients are diagnosed with SCC, they are also at higher risk for a more aggressive disease course, metastasis, and death than the general population. Researchers ...
Encorafenib and Binimetinib: A New Benchmark in Metastatic Melanoma Therapy?
IN JULY 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the combination of the oral BRAF inhibitor encorafenib (Braftovi) and the oral MEK inhibitor binimetinib (Mektovi) for BRAF V600E– or V600K– positive metastatic melanoma. The FDA approval was based on the results of the COLUMBUS...
Encorafenib Plus Binimetinib vs Vemurafenib in Advanced BRAF-Mutant Melanoma
AS REPORTED in The Lancet Oncology by Reinhard Dummer, MD, of the University Hospital Zurich Skin Cancer Center, and colleagues, the phase III COLUMBUS trial has shown a significant improvement in overall survival with the combination of the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib (Braftovi) and the MEK...
Expert Point of View: Reinhard Dummer, MD
KEYNOTE-022’S invited discussant, Reinhard Dummer, MD, Professor of Dermatologic Oncology at the University Hospital Zurich Skin Cancer Center in Switzerland, told attendees, “We’ve been waiting for this small prospective randomized phase II trial, and the initial results appear very promising.”...
Pembrolizumab Triplet Shows Activity in BRAF-Mutant Melanoma
AS FIRST-LINE treatment of advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) added to dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) produced a nonsignificant improvement in progression-free survival. It also increased the rate of grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events in the phase II ...
Expert Point of View: Cara Haymaker, PhD
CARA HAYMAKER, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the researchers have made a “crucial” discovery: adoptive cellular therapy can be expanded beyond academic centers and be “taken to the masses.” Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes can now be manufactured and shipped to patients treated at centers...
Using Tumor‑Infiltrating Lymphocytes to Treat Metastatic Melanoma
STEVEN A. ROSENBERG, MD, PhD, Chief of Surgery at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), began his pioneering research in adoptive cell transfer using interleukin (IL)-2 in the mid-1970s. His IL-2 studies were among the clinical trials that led to the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval ...
The Skin Cancer Foundation Raises $600,000 at Gala
The Skin Cancer Foundation recently held its 22nd annual Gala at The Plaza Hotel in New York. The Champions for Change Gala is the Foundation’s signature fundraising event, and $600,000 was raised to support the organization’s educational campaigns, community programs, and research initiatives....
Steven M. Horwitz, MD, on PTCL and CTCL: Trial Results on Cerdulatinib
Steven M. Horwitz, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses phase IIa study findings on the novel SYK/JAK inhibitor cerdulatinib for relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (Abstract 1001).
Incidence of Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in England
Changes to the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) in England have allowed more accurate data analysis of primary and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) since 2013. Developed by experts at Queen Mary University of London and Public Health England, and...
Cemiplimab-rwlc for Metastatic or Locally Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
On September 28, 2018, cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) was approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation.1 Supporting Efficacy Data Approval...
Neoadjuvant Therapy With Reduced-Dose Immunotherapy for Stage III Melanoma
In patients with stage III melanoma, a reduced-dose neoadjuvant immunotherapy combination was well tolerated and led to high pathologic response rates, in the phase II OpACIN-neo trial presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress.1 “Neoadjuvant ipilimumab (Yervoy) at...
NCRI 2018: Mortality in Men With Malignant Melanoma
The rate of men dying from malignant melanoma has risen in populations around the world, whereas in some countries, mortality rates for the disease are steady or falling for women, according to research presented by Yang et al at the 2018 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference...
Meta-Analysis of Voriconazole Exposure and Risk of Cutaneous SCC
Voriconazole is an antifungal medication that is sometimes used to treat fungal infection in immunocompromised patients, including patients undergoing various transplants. In order to better assess the risk associated with voriconazole use after lung or hematopoietic stem cell transplant and...
Outcomes in Melanoma With Active Brain Metastases After Treatment With Pembrolizumab
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Kluger et al, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed activity in brain metastases in patients with melanoma enrolled in a phase II study. The study included 23 patients with melanoma with one or more asymptomatic untreated 5- to 20-mm brain metastasis...
Combining Genetic and Sun Exposure Data May Improve Prediction of Skin Cancer Risk
By combining data on individuals’ lifetime sun exposure and their genetics, researchers may be able to generate improved predictions of their risk of skin cancer, according to findings presented by Fontanillas et al at the 2018 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting (Abstract PgmNr ...
Melanoma Research Alliance Appoints Marc Hurlbert, PhD, as Chief Science Officer
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) recently appointed Marc Hurlbert, PhD, as the organization’s Chief Science Officer. Dr. Hurlbert will succeed Louise Perkins, PhD, who will retire form the role after serving MRA for more than 5 years. As Chief Science Officer, Dr. Hurlbert will guide MRA’s...
COMBI-AD Trial: Longer-Term Follow-up of Adjuvant Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in Resected BRAF V600–Mutant Stage III Melanoma
As reported by Hauschild et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, longer-term follow-up of the phase III COMBI-AD trial has confirmed improved relapse-free survival with adjuvant dabrafenib (Tafinlar) plus trametinib (Mekinist) vs placebo in resected BRAF V600–mutant stage III melanoma. In...
ESMO 2018: CheckMate 067: 4-Year Follow-up of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma
As reported in The Lancet Oncology and at the European Society for Medical Oncology 2018 Congress by Hodi et al, the 4-year follow-up of the phase III CheckMate 067 trial has shown a continued overall survival benefit with first-line nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) or nivolumab alone vs ...
Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, on Advanced Melanoma: Research Highlights
Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, discusses two high-impact studies in stage III melanoma treatment: an update of the COMBI-AD trial examining dabrafenib and trametinib; and neoadjuvant ipilimumab and nivolumab therapy.
Karl Lewis, MD, on Basal Cell Carcinoma: An Ongoing Study
Karl Lewis, MD, of the University of Colorado, discusses a phase II study of cemiplimab in patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma who experienced progression of disease on, or were intolerant of, prior hedgehog pathway inhibitor therapy.For more information about this ongoing trial, visit clinicaltrials.govClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03132636
Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, on Discontinuing Immunotherapy: When Is the Right Time?
Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, of the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses how long people with melanoma should be treated with PD-1 blockade and the data on remission rates.
Alexander M.M. Eggermont, MD, PhD, on Melanoma: Advances in Adjuvant Therapy
Alexander M.M. Eggermont, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy, discusses findings from recent adjuvant trials in high-risk melanoma, and what the NCCN Guidelines recommend in light of such data as results on dabrafenib plus trametinib vs anti–PD-1 treatments (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) and the new standard for wild-type disease.
Paolo A. Ascierto, MD, on Melanoma: Acute and Chronic Toxicities
Paolo A. Ascierto, MD, of Istituto Nazionale Tumori–Fondazione Pascale, discusses the breakthroughs in melanoma treatment and the challenges of managing toxicities, especially endocrine and neurologic side effects, which can require lifetime hormone replacement and may cause permanent dysfunction.
Small Study of Neoadjuvant Combination Checkpoint Blockade in High-Risk Stage III Melanoma
Neoadjuvant combination checkpoint blockade showed activity among patients with high-risk stage III melanoma in a small study. However, a high incidence of side effects caused the trial to be closed early. These results were published by Amaria et al in Nature Medicine. The phase II...
Results From ECHELON-2: Brentuximab Vedotin in CD30-Expressing Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
The phase III ECHELON-2 clinical trial has met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) with brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) in combination with CHP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone) vs CHOP (cyclophosphamide,...
