Skin Cancer

As summer approaches, remind patients to go back to basics with sunscreen and self-examinations.

It is unclear why the vaccines were less effective in women, but researchers note that the findings can be important when determining immune therapy outcomes in patients with melanoma.

Smoking 20 cigarettes per day significantly increased risk of death caused by certain types of melanomas.

This marks the first and only time that an individualized T cell therapy has been approved by the FDA for a solid tumor cancer.

From newsworthy moments to groundbreaking research, these were the most-read skin cancer-related articles on Pharmacy Times in 2023.

The results confirm tebentafusp as a standard of care.

The differences between the regimens, anti-PD1/CTLA-4 and anti-PD1/LAG-3, can be used to optimize outcomes for patients with melanoma, particularly in those who develop drug resistance.

The protein STAT3 is present in approximately 70% of tumors, with elevated levels of the protein being an indicator of poor prognoses in patients.

The study authors note that low skin cancer screening (SCS) participation, the participants’ better health than nonparticipants, and examination biases may be contributing factors to the insignificant results.

The study authors note that stress conditions result in an increased activity of the protein HDAC8, which promotes melanoma cell survival.

Patients enrolled in the study had substantial absolute risks and elevated relative risks, suggesting that AKs may be a clinical marker of UV exposure and increased skin cancer risk.

The study authors are encouraged by the findings, noting that LIMS with algorithmic-based classification can aid in early and accurate diagnosis of skin cancer, improving patient prognosis.

A change in recurrence-free survival was also observed, with an 89% rate at 24 months in patients who achieved a complete pathologic response.

Despite patients and clinicians preferring in-person consultations, most patients reported that clinicians answered all questions and effectively resolved issues during remote consultations.

According to the authors, these results contribute to developing information that associate lymphedema with localized changes in immunity and a susceptibility for cancer.

Patients with previously untreated HLA-A*02:01+ mUM saw improvements in OS, PFS, and ctDNA clearance.

The novel combination met the co-primary endpoints of progression-free survival and overall survival during the CheckMate -901 trial, also demonstrating sizeable improvement in objective response.

In clinical trials, nivolumab (Opdivo) demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival compared to placebo in eligible patients with stages IIB, IIC, III, and stage IV completely resected melanoma.

Trial data bolster the role of nivolumab and nivolumab-based combinations in both early and metastatic stages of multiple cancer types, especially in patient groups with high unmet needs.

Collaboration between AI-based platforms and health care organizations offers promising results.

Oncolytic polymers may be the answer to circumventing therapeutic resistance in cancer treatment.

Diversity in patient populations, including age, race, ethnicity, and underrepresented regions, have increased in early-phase National Cancer Institute-sponsored trials.

Nivolumab has also demonstrated efficacy in immunotherapy-based combinations for the treatment of certain types of melanoma and bladder cancers.

Moderna has advanced 6 programs into late-stage development, including for respiratory conditions, latent and other viruses, oncology, and rare diseases.

Investigators found an approximately 23% decrease in overall cancer incidence in April 2020, specifically for breast, colon, rectal, head and neck cancers, as well as melanoma and endocrine cancer diagnoses.

Experts agreed that it was appropriate for patients who use methamphetamine or cocaine to continue opioid use if clinician monitoring was increased and tapering was avoided.

AACR has urged Congress to provide billions more in funding for cancer research, prevention efforts, and expedited review of cancer-related medical products.

Precision medicine in pharmacy has the potential to revolutionize patient care by optimizing drug selection, dosing, and monitoring.

Pharmacists can offer valuable information about sunburn, sunscreen, and skin cancer screening and provide OTC recommendations on sunburn treatment and prevention.

Melphalan/hepatic delivery system (Hepzato Kit; Delcath Systems Inc) is currently the only liver-directed therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of netastatic uveal melanoma and percutaneous hepatic perfusion.