Skin Cancer

A single-arm Japanese trial found that pazopanib did not improve progression-free survival but demonstrated encouraging response rates and overall survival in patients previously treated with paclitaxel.

A new meta-analysis of prospective studies finds artificial intelligence performs similarly to dermatologists in melanoma detection, although more rigorous research is needed before it can be considered as a reliable decision-support tool in routine care.

A new preclinical study found that inhibiting the enzyme LSD1 can activate the skin’s immune system and suppress tumor growth, pointing to a potential new topical treatment for skin cancer.

Preliminary data from a preclinical study show that vialinin-A, a compound isolated from Chinese mushrooms, is an antioxidant that has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Nearly half of trial participants reported significant fear of melanoma recurrence, especially women, younger patients, and those with higher anxiety or depression.

In a new study, researchers have identified six clinical and tumor variables that were significantly associated with a recurrence of melanoma.

A secondary analysis of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 trial finds that adjuvant Keytruda improves recurrence-free survival without increasing the risk of new primary melanoma and may reduce non-melanoma skin cancers.

A multicenter Swedish study finds influenza vaccination during immunotherapy is associated with longer survival, particularly in people being treated for melanoma, without increasing immune-related side effects.

A large database analysis finds that survival differences between men and women with metastatic melanoma disappear when patients receive immunotherapy, with the greatest benefit seen in adults older than 45 years.

Estimates show melanoma diagnoses continuing to climb in the United States, even as newer therapies continue to reduce deaths from advanced disease.

A survey finds that many dermatology patients struggle to understand skin cancer jargon, raising concerns about communication gaps during clinical visits.

Counties with more cultivated land and herbicide use had significantly higher melanoma rates, even after accounting for ultraviolet radiation and socioeconomic factors, a new geospatial study found.

A phase 3 trial offers new evidence that an immunotherapy drug may outperform chemotherapy for acral melanoma, a rare subtype long underrepresented in clinical research.

The top news to come out of skin cancer coverage this year for MHE focused on blood or marrow transplant recipients experiencing increased skin cancer risk, highlighting the need for vigilant monitoring and innovative treatment strategies.

Dermatoscopy identifies visual features that predict melanoma metastasis risk, performing comparably to current pathology-based staging methods.

Flipped dosing of Yervoy and Opdivo produced a 49% response rate compared with 37% for the standard dose of the combination and extended survival to 42 months from 14 months in a Swedish study.

The Melanoma Research Alliance launched a national biorepository at the University of Colorado to collect melanoma samples, focusing on rare subtypes for diagnostic and treatment research.

The patch measures distinct electrical patterns, which indicates how easily electrical signals pass through living tissue. Cancerous areas have different electrical properties than healthy skin.

A phase 1 trial highlights the role the microbiome plays in resistance to checkpoint inhibitors, as well as to immune-related adverse events from treatment.

UCLA study reveals why melanoma returns after immunotherapy: tumors delete genes triggering cell death while copying survival genes. This understanding could potentially enable new combination treatments to prevent resistance.

An NYU-led study found Keytruda immunotherapy after surgery lowered the risk of Merkel cell carcinoma spreading to the liver, lungs and bones.

In a viewpoint column, some experts are suggesting that melanoma in situ, which generally doesn’t lead to invasive melanoma, as a precancer to reduce unnecessary biopsies, surgeries, and emotional distress among patients.

Libtayo gained FDA approval as the first immunotherapy for high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, promising improved outcomes post-surgery and radiation.

An engineered CD40 antibody that can bind to a specific immune receptor and directly injected into tumors has demonstrated in a phase 1 trial that it can trigger a systemic immune response.

Research shows older adults had 4.45 million skin cancer cases in 2021. Basal cell carcinoma is expected to double by 2050 worldwide.