Melanoma

Indoor tanning may explain why U.S. melanoma rates are rising faster for women than for men, according to new research.  

Learn more about the #risk factors, #signs, stages and advanced #treatments for melanoma skin cancer. Visit our #Skin #Cancer Center at http://www.mountsinai.org/skincancer #infographic #Health #Medical #Medicine #treatment #HealthyTips #Wellness |Skin Cancer, Cancer and Infographic.  

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer. Epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers is higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than in the general population.1 2 Further concerns exist that immunosuppression contributes to an increased prevalence of these malignancies. Specifically, organ transplantation and the concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents is strongly associated with SCC and to a lesser extent with BCC.3 4 Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are the most commonly used biological immunosuppressive agents for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Pooled data from 74 randomized controlled trials showed that TNF inhibitors were associated with an increase in risk of non-melanoma skin cancer beyond the risk associated with rheumatoid arthritis alone.5 Several large observational studies have supported this finding,6 7 but others have not.8 9 …  

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer. Epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers is higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than in the general population.1 2 Further concerns exist that immunosuppression contributes to an increased prevalence of these malignancies. Specifically, organ transplantation and the concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents is strongly associated with SCC and to a lesser extent with BCC.3 4 Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are the most commonly used biological immunosuppressive agents for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Pooled data from 74 randomized controlled trials showed that TNF inhibitors were associated with an increase in risk of non-melanoma skin cancer beyond the risk associated with rheumatoid arthritis alone.5 Several large observational studies have supported this finding,6 7 but others have not.8 9 …  

Melanoma may be even more dangerous when it's diagnosed in women during pregnancy or within a year of giving birth, a U.S. study suggests.  

The cell programmed-death inhibitor pembrolizumab was more effective and less toxic in first-line treatment when compared with ipilimumab.  

This activity is intended for hematologists/oncologists, dermatologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with melanoma.  

: Reports from the SMR Meetings cover biology and insights into therapy for metastatic melanoma.  

Checkpoint inhibition has been notably successful in melanoma, lung cancer, and other malignancies. The story about its use in breast cancer is developing.  

This activity was developed for community-based oncologists, dermatologists, dermatologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with melanoma.  

The authors present a dermoscopic prediction model for the differentiation between early acral melanomas and acral naevi.  

Research and journalism can work together to achieve better outcomes for patients. In 2013 The BMJ published a feature on the fashionable practice of sentinel node biopsy in people with malignant melanoma (doi:10.1136/bmj.e8645). The journalist Ingrid Torjesen reported that follow-up data from a key clinical trial had not been published. Her article prompted a commentary in the British Journal of Dermatology raising doubts about the benefits of sentinel node biopsy (doi:10.1111/bjd.12487). When the long awaited data were eventually published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year (doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1310460), specialty journals ran further critical comment.  

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis is a highly fatal complication of melanoma and other cancers, and new therapies have failed to improve prognosis.  

Nivolumab, already approved as a first-line treatment for advanced melanoma in combination with ipilimumab, is now approved as a monotherapy too.  

Treatment patterns in the clinic reflect those of clinical trials, but why are some patients are not receiving a full treatment cycle?  

New therapies being tried in uveual melanoma include combination everolimus, pasireotide long-acting release, and the MEK inhibitor trametinib.  

Histochemical and molecular differences set gynecologic mucosal melanoma apart from the otherwise phenotypically identical cutaneous type.  

Outcomes were better with anti-PD-1 therapy than with conventional treatment or anti-CTLA-4 therapy, a new meta-analysis has demonstrated.  

Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) 2015 Congress: Read clinically focused news coverage of key developments from SMR 2015.  

Treatment with vemurafenib and dabrafenib was associated with acute renal toxicity in patients with melanoma, according to data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.