Melanoma & Skin Cancer | Specialty

The OncLive Melanoma & Skin Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of skin cancers, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and more. This section features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research in melanoma and other skin cancers.

NICE Approves Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Combo for Melanoma

June 21st 2016

NICE has approved the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for patients with metastatic melanoma, which allows the combination to be used within NHS.

Probing the Melanoma Genome Reveals New Targets and Challenges

June 17th 2016

Next-generation sequencing technology is providing greater insight and has uncovered new and unexpected players in melanoma.

Dr. Jeffrey Weber on CheckMate-064 Trial for Advanced Melanoma

June 13th 2016

Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, deputy director and co-director of the Melanoma Program, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses the design and results of the CheckMate-064 trial, which examined outcomes in patients who received nivolumab (Opdivo) given sequentially with ipilimumab (Yervoy) in patients with advanced melanoma.

T-VEC/Pembrolizumab Combo Shows Early Promise in Advanced Melanoma

June 10th 2016

The combination of the oncolytic virus talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated evidence of clinical benefit, as well as an acceptable safety profile, in patients with advanced melanoma.

Expert Addresses Sequencing and Resistance With Immunotherapy in Melanoma

June 10th 2016

Keith T. Flaherty, MD, discusses choosing between immunotherapy and targeted therapy in the frontline setting for patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma.

Avelumab Highly Effective in Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma

June 8th 2016

The PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab demonstrated durable responses and promising early survival data for patients with pretreated metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

Yardena Samuels on RASA2 as Prognostic Biomarker in Melanoma

June 7th 2016

Yardena Samuels, PhD, Tenured Associate Professor, Department of Moleular Cell Biology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, discuses her lab’s discovery of a potential prognostic biomarker in cutaneous sporadic melanoma.

Long-Term Data Deepen Dabrafenib/Trametinib Benefit in Melanoma

June 7th 2016

The combination of dabrafenib and trametinib continued to demonstrate impressive overall survival and progression-free survival findings for patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma in 3-year follow-up data from the phase III COMBI-d study.

Dr. Dummer on NEMO Trial for NRAS-Mutant Melanoma

June 7th 2016

Reinhard Dummer, MD, professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, discusses the results of the phase III NEMO trial, which compared the efficacy of binimetinib with dacarbazine in patients with NRAS-mutant metastatic melanoma.

Long-Term Follow-up Sustains Frontline Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Benefit in Melanoma

June 7th 2016

At a minimum follow-up of 18 months, the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab reduced the risk of disease progression by 58% compared with ipilimumab alone, and single-agent nivolumab lowered the risk of progression by 45% versus ipilimumab monotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma.

Binimetinib Shows Rare PFS Benefit in NRAS-Mutant Melanoma

June 7th 2016

The MEK inhibitor binimetinib reduced the risk of progression or death by 38% compared with dacarbazine in patients with NRAS-mutant metastatic melanoma.

Prognostic Factors Link to Longer OS With MEK/BRAF Combo in Melanoma

June 2nd 2016

A long-term analysis has shown that approximately one-fifth of patients with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma who were treated with the combination of dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) remained progression-free after 3 years, suggesting a plateau of the survival curve.

Pembrolizumab 3-Year Survival Rate Hits 40% in Melanoma

May 19th 2016

Forty percent of patients with advanced melanoma who started taking pembrolizumab during the clinical trial that led to its initial approval were still alive after 3 years, with many responders in remission even after stopping treatment.

Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Combo Approved in Europe for Advanced Melanoma

May 12th 2016

The European Commission has approved the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab as a treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma regardless of BRAF status.

Ribas Shares Emerging Advances With Immunotherapy in Melanoma

May 10th 2016

Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, shares exciting clinical trial results of immunotherapy agents in patients with melanoma, as well as what the future holds for the field.

Hedgehog Inhibitors Transform Treatment of Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

May 9th 2016

Desiree Ratner, MD, discusses what oncologists should know about hedgehog inhibitors in advanced basal cell carcinoma and what the future holds for these agents.

Dr. Sharpless on Managing Toxicities With Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Melanoma

May 5th 2016

Norman E. Sharpless, MD, professor of Medicine and Genetics, chair, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, discusses how oncologists can best manage toxicities associated with the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the treatment of patients with melanoma.

Combining Vismodegib With Radiation May Benefit Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma

May 2nd 2016

Chris Barker, MD, discusses a study investigating radiation therapy plus the hedgehog pathway inhibitor vismodegib (Erivedge) in patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Expert Discusses Latest Findings With Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Combo in Melanoma

April 29th 2016

Patrick Ott, MD, PhD, discusses toxicity management and patient selection considerations required with the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo)/ipilimumab (Yervoy), and its role in BRAF-mutant melanoma.

Dr. Ribas on Triplet Regimens in Melanoma

April 29th 2016

Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, professor of Hematology and Oncology and director of the Tumor Immunology Program Area at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses triplet therapies for patients with melanoma and the sequencing challenges associated with the approvals of additional agents in the field.