This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Five recent developments in cutaneous oncology
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The FDA approval of Keytruda for first-line treatment of mestastatic melanoma was among recent developments in cutaneous oncology reported on Healio.com/Dermatology.
Other developments included findings that menopausal hormone therapy increased risk for basal cell carcinoma and beta-genus HPV was a significant risk factor for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in healthy people:
FDA approves Keytruda for first-line treatment of metastatic melanoma
The FDA expanded the approval of the anti–PD-1 immunotherapy pembrolizumab to include first-line treatment of metastatic melanoma.
Omid Hamid
“[The] growing body of evidence in patients with advanced melanoma supports the expanded indication for Keytruda,” Omid Hamid, MD, director of the Melanoma Center at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute and principal investigator for the pembrolizumab clinical program, said in a press release. Read more
European Commission approves Imlygic for metastatic melanoma
Amgen announced in a press release that the European Commission has approved Imlygic for treating adults with unresectable melanoma that is regionally or distantly metastatic with no bone, brain, lung or other visceral disease.
Imlygic (talimogene laherparepvec) is the first oncolytic immunotherapy to show therapeutic benefit for patients with stage IIIB, IIIC and IVM1a metastatic melanoma in a phase 3 study, according to the release. Read more
Menopausal hormone therapy may increase risk for basal cell carcinoma
Menopausal hormone therapy increased risk for basal cell carcinoma, especially among women with an older age at menopause, according to the results of a nationwide cohort study.
These women may require more frequent skin cancer screening, according to the researchers. Read more
Beta-HPV associated with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Beta-genus HPV was a significant risk factor for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in healthy people, according to study results recently published in JAMA Dermatology.
Researchers conducted a systematic literature search of the Medline and Embase databases for human studies through June 18, 2014. Read more
Dermatologist-detected melanomas diagnosed at earlier stage
Melanomas detected by a dermatologist during an in-person skin examination were more likely to be in an earlier disease stage, according to study results.
Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of dermatology consults between January 2004 and March 2012 of veterans referred to the Minneapolis Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center dermatology clinic. Read more