Melanoma & Skin Cancer | Specialty

The OncLive Melanoma & Skin Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of skin cancers, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and more. This section features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research in melanoma and other skin cancers.

Checkpoint Inhibition Prevails as Frontline Standard in BRAF-Mutant Melanoma

October 11th 2022

Findings from the DREAMseq trial indicate that nivolumab plus ipilimumab should be administered prior to the combination of a BRAF and MEK inhibitor in patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma.

FDA Approval Sought for Denileukin Diftitox for Persistent or Recurrent Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

October 4th 2022

A biologics license application seeking the approval of a reformulation of denileukin diftitox for use as a potential therapeutic option in patients with persistent or recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma has been submitted to the FDA.

FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to KIN-2787 for Select Stage IIB to IV Malignant Melanoma

September 26th 2022

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to KIN-2787 for use as a potential therapeutic option in patients with BRAF class II or III alteration–positive and/or NRAS mutation–positive, metastatic or unresectable, stage IIB to IV malignant melanoma.

Fianlimab Plus Cemiplimab Generates Meaningful Responses in Anti–PD-1/PD-L1–Naïve Advanced Melanoma

September 21st 2022

The combination of fianlimab and cemiplimab demonstrated clinically meaningful activity in patients with advanced melanoma who were naïve to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

Relatlimab Plus Nivolumab Approved in Europe for Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma with PD-L1 <1%

September 17th 2022

The European Commission has approved the fixed-dose combination of relatlimab plus nivolumab for use in the frontline treatment of select patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma and a PD-L1 expression of less than 1% on tumor cells.

Nivolumab Elicits Statistically Significant Improvement in RFS in Stage IIB/C Melanoma

September 15th 2022

Adjuvant nivolumab monotherapy elicited a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in recurrence-free survival compared with placebo for patients with completely resected stage IIB/C melanoma.

Neoadjuvant Cemiplimab Elicits Encouraging Pathologic Complete Response in CSCC

September 12th 2022

Cemiplimab produced pathologic complete responses as a neoadjuvant treatment in more than half of patients with resectable, stage II to IV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Addition of Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab Improves EFS in Resectable Melanoma

September 11th 2022

Compared with adjuvant pembrolizumab alone, the addition of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab significantly improved event-free survival outcomes for patients with stage III-IV melanoma with a hazard ratio of 0.58.

Naporafenib Combinations Prove Effective in NRAS-Mutant Unresectable/Metastatic Melanoma

September 10th 2022

The investigational type II RAF inhibitor naporafenib exhibited favorable efficacy with a tolerable safety profile in combination with rineterkib, trametinib, or ribociclib in patients with previously treated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

Neoadjuvant T-VEC Plus Surgery Demonstrates Long-Term Efficacy in Resectable Melanoma

September 10th 2022

Neoadjuvant talimogene laherparepvec plus surgery provided sustained, durable improvements in efficacy vs surgery alone in patients with resectable stage IIIB to IVM1a melanoma.

TILs Demonstrate Improved PFS Vs Ipilimumab in Unresectable Melanoma

September 10th 2022

A tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy manufactured at various centers in the Netherlands Cancer Institute elicited a 50% reduction in the risk of progression or death vs ipilimumab in patients with stage IIIC/IV unresectable, treatment-refractory melanoma.

Sequential Treatment With Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Denotes OS Benefit in BRAF-Mutant Melanoma

September 6th 2022

Immunotherapy in the form of ipilimumab plus nivolumab followed by the targeted therapy combination encorafenib plus binimetinib elicited an overall survival benefit in patients with untreated BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma, according to findings from the phase 2 SECOMBIT trial.

FDA Approval Sought for Lifileucel in Advanced Melanoma

August 25th 2022

A rolling biologics license application has been submitted to the FDA seeking the approval of lifileucel in patients with advanced melanoma who progressed on or after previous anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and if BRAF mutation positive, also previous BRAF or BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy.

Talimogene Laherparepvec Plus Pembrolizumab Misses Mark in Advanced Melanoma

August 25th 2022

The addition of talimogene laherparepvec to pembrolizumab did not significantly improve progression-free survival or overall survival over pembrolizumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma.

Atezolizumab Plus Vemurafenib/Cobimetinib Produces Intracranial Activity in BRAF V600–Mutant Melanoma With CNS Metastases

August 24th 2022

The addition of atezolizumab to vemurafenib and cobimetinib produced promising intracranial activity in patients with BRAF V600–mutated advanced melanoma and central nervous system metastases.

Dr. Long on Evaluating Adjuvant Pembrolizumab vs Placebo in Melanoma

August 19th 2022

Georgina V. Long, BSc, PhD, MBBS, FRACP, discusses evaluating pembrolizumab vs placebo in stage IIB or IIC melanoma.

Immunotherapy Combinations Launch Into Earlier Lines and Signal Success in Metastatic Solid Tumors

August 17th 2022

Successful, established immunotherapies that have been approved for use in the metastatic setting are rapidly moving forward into the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, and novel agents are emerging in later lines.

New Cancer Study Results Confirm Lasting Effects on 9/11 First Responders

August 5th 2022

Research investigating the physical and mental health consequences of being at the World Trade Center site during and after the terrorist attacks has been instrumental in obtaining health care coverage for thousands of individuals.

Future Directions in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Treatment

August 5th 2022

Omid Hamid, MD, and Ryan Sullivan, MD, discuss what they look forward to in the future of metastatic uveal melanoma treatment.

Dr. Seedor on Treatment Sequencing in Metastatic Melanoma

August 4th 2022

Rino S. Seedor, MD, discusses findings from the phase 3 DREAMseq trial, which solidified up-front immunotherapy followed by targeted therapy upon progression as a standard of care in patients with BRAF V600–mutant metastatic melanoma.