Five recent developments in skin cancer

Research finding that poorer survival of scalp melanoma is associated with greater Breslow thickness and a higher proportion of male patients was among recent developments reported on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other developments included findings that women with chronic hidradenitis suppurativa experienced rare complications of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the vulvar, perianal and perineal regions:

Breslow thickness, male predominance contribute to poorer survival of scalp melanoma

Poorer survival of scalp melanoma is associated with greater Breslow thickness and a higher proportion of male patients, according to study results recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of 900 patients with invasive cutaneous head and neck melanoma (CNHM) seen between October 1994 and February 2014 at a tertiary referral center at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Read more

UV index associated with melanoma incidence in males

Ambient ultraviolet light exposure index was associated with cutaneous melanoma incidence in males, but not in females, according to recent study results published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“The causation of melanomagenesis remains under debate, especially the role of ultraviolet radiation, which is the major known environmental risk factor for [cutaneous melanoma] and nonmelanoma skin cancer.” Feng Liu-Smith, PhD, assistant professor from the department of epidemiology at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Read more

Cutaneous malignancies may be rare complication of hidradenitis suppurativa

Women with chronic hidradenitis suppurativa experienced rare complications of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the vulvar, perianal and perineal regions, according to study results recently published in Dermatologic Surgery.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Read more

Health Canada approves Opdivo plus Yervoy for metastatic melanoma

Health Canada has granted conditional approval for Opdivo plus Yervoy for treating previously untreated adults with unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma, according to a press release from Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada.

Health Canada also issued a notice of compliance with conditions for Opdivo (nivolumab) monotherapy for treating unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma in previously untreated adults, according to the release. Read more

EU agency validates application for avelumab for treating metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma

The European Medicines has validated the marketing authorization application for avelumab for the proposed indication of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, according to Merck KgaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer.

Avelumab, an investigational anti-PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, could be the first approved indication for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in the European Union if approved, according to a press release from Pfizer. Read more