Melanoma & Skin Cancer News Round Up: 09/01/2015

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• New skin cancer drug set for clinical trials

Lab tests suggest panRAF inhibitor may be effective in melanoma patients no longer responding to existing treatments.

Source: The Guardian 

• IBM applies cognitive computing to skin cancer diagnosis 

IBM is researching the application of cognitive computing to analyse dermatological images of skin lesions with the goal of assisting clinicians in the identification of various cancerous disease states. 

Source: Electronics Weekly 

• New skin cancer drugs show promise in lab tests

"New skin cancer drug set for clinical trials," The Guardian reports. In fact, two new compounds designed to treat malignant melanoma are due for trials after promising results in laboratory research.

Source: NHS 

• Skin cancer: Painkillers linked to reduced risk

Regularly taking aspirin and ibuprofen may help protect against some forms of skin cancer, research suggests.

Source: BBC 

• Cambridge skin cancer device turns up the heat

A clip-on skin cancer device that tells users when they have had enough sun has been developed by UK design hothouse Cambridge Consultants and was being unveiled at CES in Las Vegas today.

Source: Business Weekly 

• Iconic Father Ted actor to undergo treatment for skin cancer

Frank Kelly will undergo treatment for cancer again, it has been revealed.

The Father Jack actor, who previously beat bowel cancer, will have a simple procedure done to remove two small skin cancers.

Source: Mirror 

• Bin man loses ear to skin cancer after 38 years of working in the sun

SKIN cancer victim Clive Birch has had his left ear removed – after spending decades working outside as a bin man.

Source: Stoke Sentinel  

• Chance visit to health marquee during festival led to skin cancer treatment for Ann

An eagle-eyed doctor manning a health marquee at Bedford’s River Festival spotted the early signs of skin cancer on one visitor.


Source: Bedford Today 

• MEK/BRAF Inhibitor Combo Reduces Death by One-Third in Melanoma 

Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E or V600K metastatic melanoma had a significant improvement in overall survival when treated with a combination of a BRAF inhibitor and a MEK inhibitor compared with treatment with a BRAF inhibitor alone, according to the results of a study published in the January 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Source: Cancer Network 

• Combo therapy may help fight melanoma

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer, with high mortality rates. While new drugs have been approved to treat the disease, patients nearly always develop resistance to the therapies and the cancer advances.

This is especially relevant for patients with a mutation in the BRAF gene who generally have a robust, but temporary, response to BRAF inhibitor therapies. Researchers have been trying to identify therapies that can be combined to improve patient response.

Source: Health Canal 

• FDA approves Opdivo for advanced melanoma (USA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Opdivo (nivolumab), a new treatment for patients with unresectable (cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (advanced) melanoma who no longer respond to other drugs.

Source: FDA 

• Ipilimumab demonstrates long-term survival benefit in advanced melanoma

Some patients with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab continued to derive a survival benefit at least 5 years after treatment, according to study results.

Source: Healio 

• Year in Review: Progress in Melanoma

Role of immune checkpoint inhibitors, other targeted agents topped the news about melanoma.

Source: Med Page Today 

• Deep Fascia Excision No Help With Cutaneous Melanoma

Excision of the deep fascia does not improve the outcome of patients with cutaneous melanomas thicker than 2 millimeters, according to a study published in the December issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.

Source: Physician News 

• Australian firefighters had higher melanoma, prostate cancer risk than public (AUS)

Firefighters in Australia were found to have an increased risk of melanoma and prostate cancer compared with the general public, according to the results of a recently published study.

Source: Healio