Anti-PD-1 therapy association with eczema, vitiligo tops dermatology reads for week

Research finding that anti-programmed cell death-1 therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma had an association with eczema and vitiligo was the most-read article of the past week on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other widely read articles included findings that late reactions to Juvéderm Volbella were higher than expected, and that tumor depth was a significant risk factor for recurrence and metastasis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma:

Anti-PD-1 therapy for melanoma associated with eczema, vitiligo

Anti-programmed cell death-1 therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma was associated with cutaneous adverse events, including lichenoid reactions, eczema and vitiligo, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a prospective and retrospective observational study with unresectable stage IIIC/IV metastatic melanoma treated with Keytruda (pembrolizumab, Merck) or Opdivo (nivolumab, Bristol-Myers Squibb) between May 1, 2012 and Feb. 1, 2015 at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Read more

Incidence of late reactions to Juvéderm Volbella higher than expected

Patients in Israel who received injections of Juvéderm Volbella in the tear trough area or lips had a higher than expected incidence of late cutaneous reactions, according to study results.

Researchers examined the medical records of 400 patients (360 women; average age, 49.6 years) who were treated with Juvéderm Volbella (hyaluronic acid) filler at four medical centers in Israel. Read more

Carboxymethylcellulose filler effective in treating lower face

Patients injected with cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose filler had significant improvement in rejuvenation of the lower face, according to recently published study results.

“Carboxymethylcellulose is a biosynthetic substance used in food science as a viscosity modifier or thickener already present in some dermal fillers as carrier or filling,” researchers in Italy wrote. Read more

Tumor depth tied to recurrence, metastasis of cutaneous SCC

Tumor depth was a significant risk factor for recurrence and metastasis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and a tumor diameter of more than 20 mm was a risk factor for disease-specific death, according to a results of a meta-analysis recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, conducted a literature search of Ovid Medline In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Scopus from database inception through May 14, 2015. Read more

Rituxan with IV immune globulin results in long-term pemphigus vulgaris remission

A combination of IV immune globulin and Rituxan to treat patients with pemphigus vulgaris resulted in 10-year remissions, according to follow-up study results published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Diana M. Chen

“Rituxan has proven to be an effective therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and [granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)/microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)] in clinical trials,” Diana M. Chen, MD, MBA, FAAD, senior medical director at Genentech, told Healio.com/Dermatology. “The 10-year outcome of [these patients] would suggest that Rituxan is also effective in pemphigus vulgaris.” Read more