Melanoma & Skin Cancer

A phase III study comparing trametinib (Mekinist) plus dabrafenib (Tafinlar) with single-agent vemurafenib (Zelboraf) has been stopped early following a positive interim analysis

Immunotherapy agents are delivering impressive results in a broad range of tumor types, reinforcing the excitement in research and investment circles for anticancer strategies that actively harness the immune system

The combination of the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib significantly improved PFS compared with vemurafenib alone for patients with untreated BRAFV600-mutated advanced melanoma.

Igor Puzanov, MD, medical oncologist, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the rationale behind a phase Ib study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of T-VEC and ipilimumab in previously untreated, unresected stage IIIB-IV melanoma.

The PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab and the second-generation ALK inhibitor alectinib have each gained their first approvals as treatments for patients in Japan.

Frontline treatment with the anti-PD-1 agent nivolumab significantly extended overall survival when compared with dacarbazine for patients with metastatic or unresectable melanoma.

The concept of manipulating the immune system to treat cancer has experienced waxing and waning levels of enthusiasm over decades of clinical investigation.

Mario Sznol, MD, professor, Internal Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses a phase I trial that examined the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma.

At the recent National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 19th Annual Conference, experts discussed this year's updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. The meeting also included reviews of NCCN Task Force reports on issues in supportive care. We asked eleven NCCN panel members to select the most significant updates and insights presented at the conference.

Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Giant of Cancer Care, discusses the initial efficacy and safety results from the EORTC 18071 phase III trial, which looked at ipilimumab versus placebo after complete resection of stage III melanoma.

Long-term follow-up results demonstrated nearly doubled median OS with the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab compared with either agent alone.