Androgen receptor (AR) signaling affects response to BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy in both males and females with melanoma, researchers from The University of Texas
Tag: Melanoma
Dogs inhale immunotherapy to test lung cancer treatment
An inhaled immunotherapy successfully treated cancer in some companion dogs as part of a clinical trial conducted by UC Davis oncology and veterinary researchers. Recently published study results show potential for fighting cancer in humans as well.
UCLA study identifies receptor that could alleviate need for chemo, radiation pre-T cell therapy
A research team led by UCLA’s Anusha Kalbasi, MD, has shown that a synthetic IL-9 receptor allows cancer-fighting T cells to do their work without the need for chemotherapy or radiation.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for June 1, 2022
Current advances include new biomarkers to predict chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy outcomes and neurotoxicities, novel treatment targets for pre-cancerous pancreatic lesions and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a new approach to improve immunotherapy responses in cold tumors, a profile of synthetic lethal targets for cancers with tumor suppressor loss, and promising clinical data for acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of unknown primary.
Age-Related Lung Changes Provide Pathway for Metastatic Growth of Dormant Melanoma Cancer Cells
New laboratory research directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that secreted age-induced changes in distant sites such as the lung can effectively reactivate dormant cells and cause them to grow.
MD Anderson Research Highlights: ASCO 2022 Special Edition
This special edition features upcoming oral presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting focused on quality improvement, health services research, new treatments for skin cancers, and symptoms and survivorship advances. More information on ASCO content from MD Anderson can be found at MDAnderson.org/ASCO.
Next-Generation Immunotherapy Drug Shows Continued Promise in Several Advanced-Stage Cancers
Initial study results show that an experimental drug, called nemvaleukin alfa, when used alone or in combination with another anticancer drug (pembrolizumab) may be effective in treating several types of late-stage cancers in some patients.
Many pathologists agree overdiagnosis of skin cancer happens, but don’t change diagnosis behavior
Recent studies finding that there is an overdiagnosis of melanoma are a significant cause for concern. However, while many pathologists agree overdiagnosis of skin cancer happens, they don’t change diagnosis behavior.
How Common is Skin Cancer? And More Questions You’re Afraid to Ask
Sarah Weiss, MD, medical oncologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and associate professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, answers questions about skin cancer and sun protection that you may be wondering
National Healthy Skin Month: Dermatologists encourage regular skin checks
The American Academy of Dermatology highlights the importance of regular skin self-exams during National Healthy Skin Month this November. These exams help catch serious conditions early when they are most treatable. Research shows nearly one in four Americans have skin disease. Skin cancer remains the most common cancer in the United States with an estimated 9,500 people diagnosed every day.
Combination immunotherapy improves survival for patients with asymptomatic melanoma brain metastases
Combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and ipilimumab demonstrates overall survival for patients with melanoma that has spread to the brain, according to Phase II study results published today in The Lancet Oncology by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Drugs Designed for Prostate Cancer Show Promise for Treating Melanoma in Men
PHILADELPHIA— New research shows that testosterone promotes melanoma proliferation by activating a newly recognized nonclassical testosterone receptor in melanoma cells called ZIP9 (encoded by the SLC39A9 gene), a zinc transporter that is not intentionally targeted by any available therapeutics but is widely expressed in human melanoma.
New study shows that different types of cancers are likely to spread to specific areas of the brain
Brain metastasis occurs when cancer in one part of the body spreads to the brain. The lifetime incidence of such metastatic brain tumors in cancer patients is between 20%-45%, research shows.
Wistar and Penn Medicine Awarded $11.7 Million Melanoma Research Grant from the National Cancer Institute
The Wistar Institute and Penn Medicine have been awarded a prestigious $11.7 million Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Johns Hopkins Cancer Researcher Ashani Weeraratna Appointed To National Cancer Advisory Board By President Biden
Johns Hopkins scientist Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, a leading cancer researcher who specializes in melanoma and the effects of aging on cancer, has been appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board.
How a plant virus could protect and save your lungs from metastatic cancer
Using a virus that grows in black-eyed pea plants, researchers developed a new therapy that could keep metastatic cancers from spreading to the lungs, as well as treat established tumors in the lungs.
New Insights about Melanocytes Could Lead to More Targeted Melanoma Treatments
Huntsman Cancer Institute melanoma researchers have generated the first “atlas” of human melanocytes located in the body.
UCLA researchers awarded $1M from DOD to advance CAR T cell therapy for rare melanomas
Scientists Dr. Cristina Puig-Saus and Dr. Daniel Shin from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received a $1 million Translational Research Award from the U.S. Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program to help advance the use of chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR, T cell therapy as a treatment for people with acral, mucosal and uveal melanomas.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers Awarded Major Multi-Center Grant to Study Uveal Melanoma
Researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Florida Health Cancer Center received a five-year, $3.95 million NIH grant to study how uveal melanoma spreads to the liver. This work was previously supported by two Florida State Team Science Awards, which provided early-stage funding to help the team progress to the larger NIH grant.
Melanoma awareness: When should you see a dermatologist?
While it is the least common of the main types of skin cancer, melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. The sooner it is detected, the better.
Study reveals source of DNA mutations in melanoma
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (JULY 30, 2021) — The mutations that give rise to melanoma result from a chemical conversion in DNA fueled by sunlight — not just a DNA copying error as previously believed, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists published today in Science Advances.
New grant, National Fellowship for UA Little Rock Nanotechnology Researcher
Dr. K. Bao Vang-Dings, a nanotechnology researcher at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named one of nine 2021-22 Public Policy Fellows by the American Association of Immunologists. Additionally, the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) has awarded her a 2021 Summer Research Grant to support Vang-Dings’ cancer vaccine research.
Study identifies gut microbes associated with toxicity to combined checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma patients
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found specific intestinal microbiota signatures correlate with high-grade adverse events and response to combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade treatment.
Cell-based immunotherapy shows promise against melanoma
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown in preclinical studies conducted in mice and human cells that a type immunotherapy based on natural killer cells could be effective against solid tumors, starting with melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can be deadly if not caught early.
Skin Cancer & Melanoma
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Doing a monthly at home self-check of your skin can help you spot changes. Learn how to spot lesions and skin changes from Mountainside Medical Center.
Leopard Gecko Skin Tumors Traced to Cancer Gene
In a rare gecko color variety known as Lemon Frost, scientists have traced an unusual coloring and tendency to form tumors to a gene linked to human melanoma.
Astronomy Meets Pathology to Identify Predictive Biomarkers for Cancer Immunotherapy
Pairing sky-mapping algorithms with advanced immunofluorescence imaging of cancer biopsies, researchers at The Mark Foundation Center for Advanced Genomics and Imaging at Johns Hopkins University and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy developed a robust platform to guide immunotherapy by predicting which cancers will respond to specific therapies targeting the immune system.
Dual Immunotherapy Regimen Delays Cancer Progression in Patients with Advanced Melanoma
A treatment regimen for patients with advanced melanoma that combines the immunotherapy agents relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) delayed time to cancer progression significantly more than nivolumab alone, according to results of a study to be presented June 6 at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.
Survival benefits of immunotherapy combination persist for more than six years in patients with advanced melanoma
In the longest follow-up results from a clinical trial of combination immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, investigators report that nearly half the patients who received the drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab were alive a median of six and a half years after treatment.
Cleveland Clinic experts available to comment on cancer research presented at ASCO Annual Meeting
Cleveland Clinic cancer researchers are involved with more than 50 studies that’ll be presented at the virtual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 4—8, 2021. Key research from Cleveland Clinic focuses on advancements in the prevention and…
Metabolic inhibitor IACS-6274 shows early antitumor effects in underserved patients with advanced cancers
A metabolic inhibitor drug, IACS-6274, developed by MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division, is well-tolerated and showed early signs of anti-tumor activity in a Phase I trial being presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Immunotherapy combination shows benefit for patients with advanced melanoma, phase 3 trial shows
A combination of two drugs that target different proteins on immune system T cells kept advanced melanoma in check significantly longer than one of the drugs alone in a phase 3 clinical trial involving 714 patients. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators co-led the study.
Cancer has ripple effect on distant tissues
A new study with zebrafish shows that a deadly form of skin cancer — melanoma — alters the metabolism of healthy tissues elsewhere in the body. The research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that these other tissues could potentially be targeted to help treat cancer.“Tumors rely on a constant supply of nutrients to grow.
Mutation Profile of Acral Nevi Differs from Acral Melanoma, Moffitt Researchers Say
In a new study published in JAMA Dermatology, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report on the mutation profile of acral nevi and describe differences between acral nevi and acral melanoma.
How to Check Your Nails for Melanoma
When checking the body for signs of skin cancer, many people may only think to check their skin. However, board-certified dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say it’s important to check the nails, too. Although rare, skin cancer, including melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — can develop under and around the fingernails and toenails.
The 8th Annual Joseph Calello Melanoma Scholar, Dr. Charles Balch, to Present “The Surgical Management of Melanoma,” a Virtual Lecture, May 6
Atlantic Health System Cancer Care, in partnership with OncLive, invites health care professionals and others interested in the surgical management of melanoma to a virtual lecture by internationally known melanoma expert Charles M. Balch, MD, FACS, FASCO. Dr. Balch is this year’s Joseph Calello Melanoma Scholar. The free lecture and Q & A will be held on May 6, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET.
TELL “SKIN CANCER, TAKE A HIKE!™” DURING STEPS CHALLENGE FOR SKIN CANCER AWARNESS MONTH
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting one in five Americans during their lifetime. To help raise awareness of skin cancer prevention and detection, the American Academy of Dermatology will host Skin Cancer, Take a Hike!™, a month-long steps challenge, beginning Sat., May 1 in recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month. The participant-driven fundraising event — part of the AAD’s SPOT Skin Cancer™ campaign to create a world without skin cancer — aims to log 9,500 miles across the country in honor of the approximately 9,500 people who are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
How the Pandemic Has Exacerbated Rates of Skin Cancer
With summer approaching and more and more people getting vaccinated for COVID-19, many San Diegans eagerly anticipate the season best known for outdoor activities. But with more time in the sun comes the need for sun-safe practices. During the pandemic,…
$10 Million Gift to Open the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at Mount Sinai
With highly trained specialists skilled in caring for different types of melanoma, patients at the Waldman Melanoma and Skin Center will have access to the newest diagnostics and therapies such as Canfield Vectra180 – a 3D whole body imaging system that captures nearly the entire skin surface in macro quality resolution, and will be able to capture early skin cancer lesions; Nevisense—a safe diagnostic support tool utilizing Electrical Impedence Spectroscopy (EIS) which is applied as a harmless electrical signal to the skin; Vivascope 1500—a non-invasive confocal imaging system which offers a non-invasive way to image the skin to the superficial collagen layers; and innovative technologies which non-invasively collects skin cells through adhesive patches rather than a scalpel to diagnose atypical pigmented lesions (or moles) at high risk for melanoma.
Atlantic Health System Physicians Co-Author 5 Studies, Presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting
Atlantic Health System Cancer Care physicians are co-authors of five original studies presented at this year’s AACR Annual Meeting, held virtually April 10-15 and May 17-21. The AACR meeting is one of the world’s premier scientific gatherings of cancer specialists and researchers.
moffitt investigators identify sting gene methylation that allows melanoma to evade the immune system
A dysfunctional immune system significantly contributes to the development of cancer. Several therapeutic strategies to activate the immune system to target cancer cells have been approved to treat different types of cancer, including melanoma.
An amyloid link between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma
For nearly 50 years, doctors have recognized that Parkinson’s disease patients have an increased risk of melanoma. Now, scientists report a link between the two diseases in the form of protein aggregates known as amyloids. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2021.
Weizmann Scientists Find That Bacteria May Aid Anti-Cancer Immune Response
The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Yardena Samuels, Prof. Eran Segal, and Dr. Ravid Straussman, with partners at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the NCI, and elsewhere, have discovered that the bacteria living inside cancer cells can be harnessed to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor. The work could also help explain findings showing that the microbiome affects the success of immunotherapy.
Study finds high tumor mutation burden predicts immunotherapy response in some, but not all, cancers
A high rate of genetic mutations within a tumor, known as high tumor mutation burden, was only useful for predicting immunotherapy responses in a subset of cancer types, suggesting that this may not reliably be used as a universal biomarker.
Moffitt Researchers Show Sequential Treatment with Immunotherapy and Checkpoint Inhibitors Prolongs Anti-Tumor Activity
In a new article published in Cancer Immunology Research, the Moffitt team shows that sequential administration of immunotherapy followed by targeted therapy prolongs anti-tumor responses in preclinical models and may be a potential treatment option for patients with advanced melanoma.
Yale Researchers Identify Tumor Reactive Immune-Cells to help fight against Advanced Melanoma
According to a new study led by Yale Cancer Center and Department of Neurology researchers, a simple blood draw may be the first step in helping to discover tumor reactive immune or T cells to treat advanced melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. The findings were published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Gene-Based Blood Test for Melanoma Spread Evaluates Treatment Progress
A test that monitors blood levels of DNA fragments released by dying tumor cells may serve as an accurate early indicator of treatment success in people in late stages of one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, a new study finds.
Fecal Transplant Turns Cancer Immunotherapy Non-Responders into Responders
A phase II clinical trial shows that changing the gut microbiome through fecal transplant can transform cancer patients who never responded to immunotherapy into patients who do.
Ze’ev Ronai named director of Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Cancer Center
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has named renowned cancer researcher Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., director of its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center.
NYU Medical Center Board-Certified Dermatologist: How COVID-19 Caused Delays in Skin Cancer Diagnosis
NYU Medical Center Board-Certified Dermatologist: How COVID-19 Caused Delays in Skin Cancer Diagnosis When caught early, skin cancer, including melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — is highly treatable. However, from March to May 2020 during the peak…