Responses to Initial Pembrolizumab Support Treatment De-escalation in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A response-adapted approach to treatment decision-making for patients with resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma demonstrated that with the use of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, many patients could avoid surgery and/or radiotherapy. Findings from the De-Squamate study were published in the...
American College of Surgeons Publishes Annual NCDB Report
The second annual report from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) documents a substantial rise in neoadjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy, often allowing for less invasive surgery and helping clinicians assess how a...
CRI Launches Open Database for Immunotherapy Cancer Research
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) in collaboration with 10x Genomics, Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has launched an open foundational database for cancer immunotherapy research. The...
Flipped Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Dosing Improves Responses, Survival, and Safety in Advanced Melanoma
The flipped dose for nivolumab at 3 mg/kg and ipilimumab at 1 mg/kg led to improved response rates and survival findings as well as lower severe immune-related toxicities compared with the standard dose of the immunotherapy combination in patients with advanced unresectable melanoma, according to...
Tanning Bed Exposure and Melanoma Risks
Research has elucidated how radiation from tanning beds increases the mutation burden across a broad area of melanocytes, thereby significantly raising the risk of developing melanoma. Findings published in Science Advances show that individuals who used tanning beds had a 2.85-fold higher risk of...
Nikhil Khushalani, MD, on Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment in CSCC
Nikhil Khushalani, MD, Vice Chair for the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, reviews advances in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). He discusses the possibility of de-escalating therapy for patients who respond positively to presurgical agents; how to best select postoperative regimens; and ongoing trials in both spaces. References Gross ND, Miller DM, Khushalani NI, et al: Neoadjuvant cemiplimab for stage II to IV cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma. N Eng J Med 387:1557-1568, 2022. Gross ND, Miller DM, Khushalani NI, et al: Neoadjuvant cemiplimab and surgery for stage II-IV cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma: Follow-up and survival outcomes of a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol 11:1196-1205, 2023. Breukers SE, Traets JJH, van Dijk SW, et al: Neoadjuvant ipilimumab and nivolumab in resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A randomized phase 2 trial. Nature Medicine. October 8, 2025 (early release online). Ladwa R, Lee JH, McGrath M, et al: Response-adapted surgical and radiotherapy de-escalation in resectable cutaneous squamous cell cancer using pembrolizumab: The De-Squamate study. J Clin Oncol 26:2888-2986, 2025. Porceddu SV, Bressel M, Poulsen MG, et al: Postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative radiotherapy in high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: The randomized phase III TROG 05.01 trial. J Clin Oncol 13:1275-1283, 2018. Rischin D, Porceddu S, Day F, et al: Adjuvant cemiplimab or placebo in high-risk cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma. N Eng J Med 393:774-785, 2025. Koyfman SA, Lee JHJ, Mortier L, et al: Phase 3 randomized trial (KEYNOTE-630) of adjuvant pembrolizumab versus placebo for high-risk locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following surgery and radiation. 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. Abstract 6000. Presented May 31, 2025.
Nikhil Khushalani, MD, on Immunotherapy in Advanced Unresectable CSCC
Nikhil Khushalani, MD, Vice Chair for the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, offers his thoughts on the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Dr. Khushalani discusses the three currently approved immunotherapeutic agents for this disease—cemiplimab-rwlc, pembrolizumab, and cosibelimab-ipdl—and their confirmatory trials as well as adverse event profiles. He also talks about choosing optimal treatment strategies for patients, and studies currently exploring monotherapy vs combination therapy regimens. References 1. Migden MR, Rischin D, Schmults CD, et al: PD-1 blockade with cemiplimab in advanced cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma. N Eng J Med 379:341-351, 2018. 2. Hughes BGM, Guminski A, Bowyer S, et al: A phase 2 open-label study of cemiplimab in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (EMPOWER-CSCC-1): Final long-term analysis of groups 1, 2, and 3, and primary analysis of fixed-dose treatment group 6. J Am Acad Dermatol 1:68-77, 2025. 3. Grob JJ, Gonzalez R, Bassett-Seguin N, et al: Pembrolizumab monotherapy for recurrent or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A single-arm phase II trial (KEYNOTE-629). J Clin Oncol 25:2916-2925, 2020. 4. Maubec E, Boubaya M, Petrow P, et al: Phase II study of pembrolizumab as first-line, single-drug therapy for patients with unresectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. J Clin Oncol 26:3051-3061, 2020. 5. Clingan P, Ladwa R, Brungs D, et al: Efficacy and safety of cosibelimab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 10:e007637, 2023. 6. Zandberg DP, Allred JB, Rosenberg AJ, et al: Phase II (Alliance A091802) randomized trial of avelumab plus cetuximab versus avelumab alone in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 43:2398-2408, 2025.
New Approvals in Hematologic Malignancies, Skin Cancer, and Small Cell Lung Cancer
Here are brief reports on four oncology approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2025: • Menin Inhibitor in NPM1-Positive AML : On October 24, 2025, the FDA approved revumenib (Revuforj), a menin inhibitor, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid...
Melanoma Cancer Cluster Found in Parts of Pennsylvania
Researchers have identified a melanoma cancer cluster in 15 counties in Pennsylvania near or containing cultivated croplands, according to findings published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. The research highlights that sunlight and areas of higher herbicide use may contribute to these...
Malignant Melanoma: Addition of Whole-Body Imaging in Postsurgery Follow-up
In an interim analysis of a Swedish phase III study (TRIM) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Ladjevardi et al found no improvement in outcomes with the addition of whole-body imaging to physical examination in a follow-up of patients undergoing radical surgery for stage IIB-C or III cutaneous...
Testing for Melanoma Sentinel Lymph Node Status
A gene expression profile–based test coupled with clinicopathologic factor assessment was able to consistently identify patients with melanoma who were at a low risk for their disease spreading to the sentinel lymph nodes, according to findings from the MERLIN_001 trial published in JAMA Surgery....
Nivolumab vs Ipilimumab in Resected Stage III or IV Melanoma: 9-Year Follow-Up of CheckMate 238
As reported at the latest ESMO Congress and in The New England Journal of Medicine by Ascierto et al, the 9-year follow-up of the phase III CheckMate 238 trial showed a continued recurrence-free survival benefit with adjuvant nivolumab vs ipilimumab in patients with resected stage IIIB–C or IV...
Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Merkel Cell Carcinoma
A new clinical trial from the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2025 Congress found that adjuvant therapy with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab appeared to reduce the risk of distant metastases for an aggressive form of skin...
Thymic Health Associated With ICI Response
New research being presented during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 showed that thymic health is linked to response to immune checkpoint inhibition in patients with cancer (Abstract 108O). “Immunotherapy relies on unleashing T cells, and the thymus is where T cells...
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: Use of Durvalumab Alone or With Lenalidomide Under Study in Phase II Trial
In a randomized phase II trial, Christiane Querfeld, MD, PhD, and colleagues investigated the effects of a PD-L1–blocking strategy for targeting both the innate and adaptive immune systems in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). At the 2025 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) Annual Meeting,1 Dr....
PD-1 Inhibitor Approved for Adjuvant Treatment of CSCC
On October 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cemiplimab-rwlc (Libtayo) for the adjuvant treatment of adults with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation therapy. C-POST Efficacy was evaluated in C-POST (ClinicalTrials.gov ...
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: AI Model Rivals Dermatologists in Differentiation Assessment
Performance of a convolutional neural network in determining differentiation levels of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas was on par with that of experienced dermatologists, according to the results of a recent study published in JAAD International. “This type of cancer, which is a result of...
Can Nicotinamide Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer Development?
The dietary supplement nicotinamide has been recommended by dermatologists for people with a history of skin cancer since 2015, when a clinical study published by Chen et al in The New England Journal of Medicine including almost 400 participants showed that those who took the vitamin B3 derivative ...
More Tattoos, Lower Risk of Melanoma? New Study Investigates
People with more than one tattoo session may have a decreased risk of developing melanoma—with one key caveat, according to research published by McCarty et al in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. A team led by Jennifer Doherty, PhD, Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator, Co-Leader of ...
Clear-Margin Diagnostic Excisional Biopsy May Adequately Treat Melanoma in Situ, Study Finds
A retrospective cohort study conducted by Dessinioti et al and published in JAMA Dermatology found that, in cases of melanoma in situ, diagnostic excisional biopsy achieving clear margins may be sufficient for treatment. “No local recurrences, metastasis, or melanoma-specific death were observed...
Basal Cell Carcinoma: Early Research on a Novel Topical Fluorescent Imaging Technique
A topical fluorescent molecular contrast agent, PARPi-FL (a poly[adenosine diphosphate ribose] polymerase 1 [PARP1] inhibitor–targeted fluorescent contrast agent) detected basal cell carcinoma through intact skin in as little as 5 minutes in ex vivo human tissues, according to new preclinical...
Cancer-Induced Nerve Injury Identified as Driver of PD-1 Resistance Across Tumor Types
Researchers have uncovered that cancer cells degrade protective nerve coverings, causing cancer-induced nerve injury that can lead to chronic inflammation and resistance to anti–PD-1 immunotherapy, according to findings published in Nature. In exploring the role of perineural invasion and...
Nivolumab Plus RP1 Shows Durable Responses in Advanced Melanoma After PD-1 Inhibitor Resistance
Nivolumab in combination with RP1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec), a herpes simplex virus type 1–based oncolytic immunotherapy, showed activity in patients with advanced melanoma who experienced disease progression on standard anti‒PD-1‒based immunotherapy, according to findings from the phase I/II...
Treatment-Resistant Melanoma: Novel Checkpoint Inhibitor Combination
New research published by Phadke et al in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer found that adding a third immune-targeting drug to existing therapies may help to shrink tumors in laboratory models of treatment-resistant melanoma. Although immunotherapeutics have improved survival for many...
Use of Cemiplimab as Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The randomized phase III C-POST trial attempted to learn whether the standard-of-care treatment in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma—cemiplimab-rwlc, which blocks the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway—could reduce recurrence after definitive local therapy for patients who had high-risk features....
Pembrolizumab and De-escalation of Treatment in Resectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Cancer
In an Australian phase II trial (De-Squamate) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ladwa et al found that the use of pembrolizumab produced a high rate of clinical or pathologic complete response in patients with resectable cutaneous squamous cell cancer (cSCC), suggesting the potential to ...
Extended Follow-up for Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Relatlimab Plus Nivolumab in Resectable Melanoma
In an extended follow-up of a phase II trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Burton et al examined outcomes with neoadjuvant and adjuvant relatlimab-rmbw plus nivolumab in patients with resectable melanoma. Relatlimab targets LAG3, while nivolumab targets PD-1. Study Details In the...
Four-Year Outcomes Highlight Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Advanced Resectable Melanoma
A neoadjuvant and adjuvant regimen of anti–PD-1 therapy with nivolumab and anti–LAG-3 therapy with relatlimab led to a 4-year event-free survival rate of 80% in patients with advanced, resectable melanoma, according to long-term findings from a phase II study published in the Journal of Clinical...
RP1 Plus Nivolumab in Anti–PD-1–Resistant Advanced Melanoma
When combined with nivolumab, RP1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec), a genetically engineered herpes simplex virus type 1–based oncolytic immunotherapy, induced deep and durable systemic responses in patients with advanced melanoma who have failed to respond to prior anti–PD-1 therapy, according to...
Intratumoral BO-112 With Pembrolizumab in Anti–PD-1–Resistant Melanoma
In a Spanish-French phase II trial (SPOTLIGHT-203) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Márquez-Rodas et al investigated the combination of the intratumoral agent BO-112 and pembrolizumab for activity in patients with advanced anti–PD-1–resistant melanoma. BO-112 is a synthetic,...
Role of Mitochondrial Pathways in Melanoma Progression, Treatment Resistance
The most aggressive melanomas may hyperactivate two key processes in mitochondria, according to a novel study, and blocking these pathways with currently available drugs may eliminate melanoma cells, explained investigators. These findings were published by Kim et al in the journal Cancer....
Four-Drug Induction Regimen Under Study in Advanced Melanoma With BRAF Mutation
In a phase II trial (EBIN) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Robert et al investigated the survival benefit of adding induction encorafenib/binimetinib to nivolumab/ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma with BRAF V600E or BRAF V600K mutation. Study Details In the open-label trial, 271...
Avelumab Plus Cetuximab in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
In a phase II trial (Alliance A091802) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Zandberg et al investigated the survival benefit of adding cetuximab to avelumab in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Study Details In the U.S. multicenter trial, 57 evaluable patients were...
Adjuvant Cemiplimab in High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
In a phase III trial (C-POST) reported at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting and in The New England Journal of Medicine, Rischin et al compared disease-free survival outcomes of adjuvant cemiplimab vs placebo in patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Study Details In the trial, 415...
Pathology Machine-Learning Models and Diagnosis of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers in Resource-Limited Settings
Artificial intelligence (AI) models, which were pretrained on vast data sets, outperformed a standard baseline model in identifying nonmelanoma skin cancers from digital images of tissue samples, based on a session presented during the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual...
Inherited Genetic Differences May Predict Resistance to Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma
Researchers may have uncovered genetic differences that may help predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors among patients with metastatic melanoma, according to a recent study published by Monson et al in Nature Medicine. Background The investigation revolved around mitochondrial haplogroups ...
Dual Immunotherapy May Improve Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The combination of avelumab and cetuximab may improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma compared with avelumab alone, according to recent findings presented by Zandberg et al at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 6002) and simultaneously...
Use of Niraparib in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
Researchers may have uncovered early indications of the clinical benefit of niraparib in patients with advanced melanoma whose tumors have specific genetic changes impacting DNA repair, according to a recent study published by Kim et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Background The U.S. Food and Drug...
Survival Trends in Melanoma Brain Metastases: Update of Melanoma Graded Prognostic Assessment
In a study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sperduto and colleagues analyzed trends in survival associated with newly diagnosed melanoma brain metastases and updated the Melanoma Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA). Study Details The study involved retrospective data from...
AACR 2025: Pretrained AI Models Could Help Accurately Diagnose Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers in Resource-Limited Settings
Artificial intelligence (AI) models pretrained on vast data sets may outperform standard baseline models in identifying nonmelanoma skin cancers from digital images of tissue samples, according to new findings presented by Song et al at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)...
Can ctDNA Monitoring Help to Predict Melanoma Recurrence?
A new study showed that approximately 80% of patients with stage III melanoma who had detectable levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before they started treatment to suppress their tumors went on to experience recurrence. Researchers also found that the disease returned more than four times...
Immunotherapy, Radiosurgery Combination and Risk of Radiation Necrosis in Patients With Cancer Who Have Brain Metastases
Patients with melanoma and lung cancer who have brain metastases may experience severe inflammatory reactions after receipt of immunotherapy drugs combined with radiation therapy, according to a recent study published by Vaios et al in JAMA Network Open. Study Methods and Results In this study,...
Novel Strategy May Enhance Sensitivity, Accuracy of Monitoring Cancer in Blood Samples
A whole-genome sequencing–based, error-corrected method for detecting cancer from blood samples could be more sensitive and accurate in monitoring disease status posttreatment among patients with cancer compared with prior methods, according to a recent study published by Cheng et al in Nature...
Advanced Refractory Melanoma: Addition of Tilsotolimod to Ipilimumab
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Adi Diab, MD, and colleagues, the phase III ILLUMINATE trial showed adding the Toll-like receptor-9 agonist tilsotolimod to ipilimumab in patients with advanced refractory melanoma produced no benefit. Study Details Four hundred and eighty-one...
Misconceptions Regarding Skin Cancer Risk in the United States
Investigators may have uncovered associations between the reported number of sunburns and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the prevalence of protective skin behaviors adopted by U.S. adults, according to a recent study published by Etzel et al in the American Journal of Lifestyle...
Definitive Radiation Therapy Effectively Treats Locally Advanced BCC
Definitive radiation therapy offers a high degree of locoregional control in large, locally advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCC), according to results from a recent multi-institutional research study published by Su et al in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology · Biology · Physics. One...
Pembrolizumab and Bevacizumab in Untreated Melanoma Brain Metastases
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. Study Details In the trial, 37 patients, enrolled at Yale Cancer Center and Moffitt...
Study Finds No Clear Evidence That Red Wine Mitigates Cancer Risk
The consumption of alcohol has been associated with increased cancer risk, but red wine has been perceived by some as a healthier choice compared to white wine and other types of alcohol. Investigators evaluated whether the anticancer properties of red wine were greater in a recent study published...
Consumer Survey Reveals Common Misconceptions About HPV and HPV-Related Cancer
A large proportion of individuals may be unaware of the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cancer among men, according to a recent consumer survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research...
Is There a Link Between Tattoos and Increased Cancer Risk?
Skin cancers and lymphoma may be more prevalent among individuals with tattoos compared with those without tattoos, according to a recent study published by Clemmensen et al in BMC Public Health. Prior research has shown that tattoo ink does not just remain at the site of injection—instead, when...
