Mouse Model Shows Risk For Asthma, Allergies May Improve Fight Against Skin Cancer

Main Category: Allergy
Also Included In: Melanoma / Skin Cancer;  Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 17 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT



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'ACT TIL' Approach Studied For The Treatment Of Metastatic Melanoma

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 20 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT



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China's Increasing Cancer Rates Linked To Industrialization, New Lifestyles And Lack Of Sun Exposure

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Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Aug 2012 - 13:00 PDT



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Combining BRAF Inhibitor And Immunotherapy Increases Antitumor Activity In Metastatic Melanoma

BRAF Inhibitor Zelboraf Boosts Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Mouse Model

Combining the recently approved BRAF inhibitor, Zelboraf with an engineered T cell immunotherapy to treat metastatic melanoma significantly increased tumor responses and survival in an animal model, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have shown.

The animals in the study that received the combination therapy had better tumor responses and lived more than twice as long as those getting the BRAF inhibitor or immunotherapy alone. The findings provide strong support for testing the combination therapy in human clinical trials, which Jonsson Cancer Center researchers hope to launch within two years.

About 50 percent of patients with metastatic melanoma, or 4,000 people a year, have the BRAF mutation and can be treated with Zelboraf. More than 50 percent of those respond well to the drug, but the responses usually last only a few months. With immunotherapy, fewer patients respond, but the responses are more durable.

By pairing the combination therapy in a one-two punch, researchers hope to maintain the high response rates associated with Zelboraf and combine them with the longer disease-free progression times seen with immunotherapy, said study first author Dr. Richard Koya, a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist and an assistant professor of surgical oncology.

"The idea was to target two different aspects of anti-cancer biology, hitting the tumor cells themselves with the BRAF inhibitor and adding in T cells educated to induce a specific anti-tumor immune response," Koya said. "The results we saw in this study were very promising."

The findings of the two-year study appear Aug. 15, 2012 in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Research.

The researchers also found that the BRAF inhibitor helped boost the power of the immunotherapy, creating a greater combination effect, said study senior author Dr. Antoni Ribas, a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist and a professor of hematology/oncology.

"We found that both treatments were more effective when administered together, and we were surprised to see that a drug that should only be targeting the BRAF-mutant cancer cells was also having a beneficial effect on the T cells," Ribas said.

In the immunotherapy technique, called adoptive T cell transfer or ACT, lymphocytes are genetically engineered to express a receptor that recognizes melanoma cells, creating an army of immune cells that attack the cancer. The lymphocytes are modified genetically to become specific to the melanoma cells and are injected into the body.

The study was done using a model based on unique cell lines developed at UCLA. Previously, no implantable BRAF mutation-driven melanoma model able to grow progressively in a mouse with a fully competent immune system was available.

It is vital to develop new drugs to treat metastatic melanoma as few options are available for patients. Zelboraf works well, but most patients eventually relapse.

"This is a patient population that we are not able to cure," Koya said. "With what we have now we are just prolonging their lives. We need to have more options, and we hope this combination therapy proves to be an effective alternative."

About 70,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Of those, 8,000 people will die of the disease.

"In conclusion, combined therapy with the BRAF-specific inhibitor Zelboraf and T cell receptor engineered adoptive cell transfer resulted in superior anti-tumor effects," the study states. "Although the absolute number of T cells infiltrating the tumor was not increased by Zelboraf, the combination increased the functionality of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. Therefore, our studies support the clinical testing of combinations of BRAF targeted therapy and immunotherapy for patients with advanced melanoma."

The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (P50 CA086306 and P01 CA 132681), Seaver Institute, Louise Belley and Richard Schnarr Fund, Wesley Coyle Memorial Fund, Garcia-Corsini Family Fund, Fred L. Hartley Family Foundation, Ruby Family Foundation, Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, Caltech-UCLA Joint Center for Translational Medicine, UCLA Tumor Biology Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award, Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship and National Science Foundation Competitive Edge Fellowship.

View drug information on Zelboraf.

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By Studying Animal Health, Researchers Find Improved Ways For Developing, Testing Cancer Therapies

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  Pancreatic Cancer
Article Date: 17 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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Unprecedented Moon Shots Program Launched By UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma;  Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 25 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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Resistance In Melanoma Patients Delayed By Combination Of Targeted Treatment Drugs

Combined treatment with two drugs targeting different points in the same growth-factor pathway delayed the development of treatment resistance in patients with BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanoma. The results of a phase I/II study of treatment with the kinase inhibitors dabrafenib and trametinib were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and released online to coincide with a presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Vienna.

"We investigated this combination because of research we and others have conducted into the molecular underpinnings of resistance to BRAF inhibitor therapy," says Keith Flaherty, MD, of the Massachustts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, lead author of the NEJM report and principal investigator of the study. "We found that adding the MEK inhibitor trametinib to BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib clearly delays the emergence of resistance. In fact, the combination was at least twice as effective as BRAF inhibition alone."

In around half of patients with metastatic melanoma, tumor growth is driven by mutations that keep the BRAF protein - part of the MAPK cell growth pathway - constantly activated. In recent years, drugs that inhibit BRAF activity have rapidly halted and reversed tumor growth in about 90 percent of treated patients, but most patients' response is temporary, with tumor growth resuming in six or seven months. Investigations into how this resistance emerges have suggested that the MAPK pathway gets turned back on through activation of MEK, another protein further down the pathway. Based on promising results of animal studies, the current investigation was designed to test whether inhibiting both the BRAF and MEK proteins could delay treatment resistance.

Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the study by researchers at 14 sites in the U.S. and Australia tested two of the company's drugs - BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib and MEK inhibitor trametinib, both oral medications currently being evaluated by the FDA as single-agent therapeutics - in adult patients with BRAF-expressing malignant melanoma. Phase I testing confirmed that there were no drug-to-drug interactions between the two agents and evaluated the safety of different dose combinations. In the open-label phase II portion of the study, 162 patients were randomized into three groups that received different dose combinations: two daily 150 mg doses of dabrafenib plus one 2 mg trametinib dose, the same dabrafenib dose with a 1 mg dose of trametinib, or treatment with dabrafenib alone. Participants receiving dabrafenib alone were able to cross over to the full-dose combination treatment if their cancer resumed progression.

Treatment with both combination regimens led to a significant delay - about four months longer than with dabrafenib alone - in the emergence of resistance. After one year of treatment, 41 percent of those receiving full-dose combination treatment had no progression of their cancer, compared with only 9 percent of those receiving one drug. The occurrence of side effects such as skin rash and the development of squamous cell carcinoma, a less malignant skin cancer, was similar to that typically seen when only one of the two drugs is used, and some side effects were less frequent with the combination therapy.

Noting that the tested combination, now being tested in a larger Phase III study, delayed but did not prevent resistance in most participants, Flaherty says, "We need to continue focusing on resistance mechnisms occuring with this combination approach so we can better understand how to treat patients once resistance emerges or to develop other combination regimens to further prevent relapse. We also need to see if this approach could serve as an effective adjuvant therapy used following surgery to prevent recurrence. That might have the biggest impact on patients." Flaherty is an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

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Use Of Interstitial Fluid Pressure Via Noninvasive Measurement, A Potential Biomarker For Tumor Aggressiveness

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: MRI / PET / Ultrasound;  Melanoma / Skin Cancer;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 02 Oct 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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Tanning Beds Cause 170,000 Skin Cancers In USA Annually

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Dermatology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 03 Oct 2012 - 10:00 PDT



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Genetic Variability In The Embryo May Predispose To Cancer In Adult Life

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 14 Jun 2012 - 0:00 PDT



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Successful With New Immune Approach To Fighting Some Cancers

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Melanoma / Skin Cancer;  Lung Cancer;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 15 Jun 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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Zebrafish Provide Insight Into Melanoma

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Genetics
Article Date: 19 Jun 2012 - 4:00 PDT



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Dabrafenib Shows Promise For Melanoma Patients

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 25 Jun 2012 - 11:00 PDT



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Protein That Binds To Growth Factor Receptor, Priming It For Normal Function, Likely Linked To 4 Cancers

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Genetics;  Breast Cancer;  Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 26 Jun 2012 - 0:00 PDT



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Men With HPV Infection, Light Skin Color And Sun Exposure At Increased Risk of Skin Cancer

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine;  Men's Health
Article Date: 27 Jun 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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HPV Infection Increases Risk Of Skin Cancer In Men

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine;  Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 02 Jul 2012 - 12:00 PDT



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Link Between Caffeinated Coffee Consumption And Reduced Risk Of Most Common Form Of Skin Cancer

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Parkinson's Disease;  Diabetes;  Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 03 Jul 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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Caffeine Intake Tied To Lower Risk Of Common Skin Cancer

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Dermatology
Article Date: 05 Jul 2012 - 1:00 PDT



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News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: July 9, 2012

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Melanoma / Skin Cancer;  Cholesterol
Article Date: 10 Jul 2012 - 2:00 PDT



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Skin Cancer Self Exam By Use Of Mobile App

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 12 Jul 2012 - 10:00 PDT



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Sophisticated Technique For Delivering Multiple Cancer Treatments May Solve Frustrating Hurdle For Combinatorial Drug Therapies

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 17 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT



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Sarah Harding's skin cancer scare

The Girls Aloud star has reportedly undergone tests after having three potentially cancerous moles removed last Wednesday - just two days before the group announced their greatest hits album 'Ten' and comeback tour - at a London Hospital and is now anxiously awaiting the results this week.

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Tanning Beds Linked to Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

Indoor tanning beds can cause non-melanoma skin cancer - and the risk is greater the earlier one starts tanning, according to a new analysis led by UCSF.

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Beauty products supporting the fight against breast cancer

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Dr. C. Joseph Bennett, Navigating Cancer, 10/02/12 - Pink Paper Day

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On behalf of the Citrus County medical community, and all of the citizens of the county, I would like to thank the Citrus County Chronicle for the massive effort that is today's "Pink Paper." This production took months of preparation and work, and is a testament to the support the Chronicle has given to ... (more)

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Doctors Use Woman's Own Tissue to Grow Replacement Ear On Her Arm

Sherrie Walters needed to have parts of her ear removed due to skin cancer, and doctors at John Hopkins decided to use her own tissue to grow a replacement ear on her arm.

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Cancer evidence builds against sunbeds

AN international study which adds to growing evidence surrounding the cancer-causing risks of indoor tanning has prompted calls to tax the industry and increase health warnings to consumers.

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Doctor Mole: The smartphone app that checks for signs of skin cancer

Most people with moles know they should check them regularly for signs of skin cancer, but how many of us actually know what we're looking for? At the tap of a screen, a new smartphone app can help identify if a little blemish might turn into a big problem.

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How Sunlight Weakens Your Skin

Stefano Amabili walks under the sun in Miami Beach, Florida, in May. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more people are using sunscreen and protecting themselves from the sun's rays.

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Poor sleep in teen years linked to heart risks in adulthood

The basic assumption in U.S. health care that more is better is being challenged by a group of doctors who put the cost of unnecessary care at as much as $800 billion a year, according to a new report.

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