Isolated limb perfusion for the treatment of melanoma in a leg or arm is introduced. This treatment is used when surgical removal isn’t an option and confines the chemotherapy drugs to only the affected limb.

Link

Dr. Darrell S. Rigel spoke at the American Academy of Dermatology’s Summer Academy meeting about the increase in the numbers of young white women being diagnosed with melanoma. He points to pressure to be tan for the prom on 17-18 yr olds. His patients have largely used tanning beds in their teens and the  latency period from the time of intensified exposure to the appearance of melanoma is 5-20 years, he said.

Link

Combination therapies are being studied in the search for effective treatments for metastatic disease. This reports that GP100 vaccine paired with IL-2 increases clinical response while it has no effect on survival benefit with ipilimumab (Yervoy).

Link

The incidence of cancer in shift workers has been studied and  night shift workers have increased risk for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. A recent study of these workers found that their risk is lowered for skin cancer, possibly due to lower levels of melatonin. The researchers examined health records of more than 68,000 women over an 18 year period.

Link

This article discusses a non-surgical treatment for in-situ and lentigo melanomas when they appear in locations where scarring is a concern, e.g. the face. Michael Shane Chapman, M.D., associate professor of surgery (section of dermatology), Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H., says the recurrence rate with surgery can range from 5 to 20 percent and that with imiquimod, there is a 90 percent chance of cure and about a 10 percent chance of recurrence.

Dr. Chapman closely monitors the patient and advises surgical intervention as the second line of therapy when it is indicated. The treatment is also advised when the patient has a pacemaker or other health concerns.

Link

Researchers announced results of a study that found higher than normal risk of mesothelioma and melanoma of the eye in people with a gene mutation known as BAP1. It is also noted that the gene may raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Donald Blair, Ph.D., NCI, said: “The discovery that the BAP1 gene is involved in a new cancer syndrome characterized especially by uveal melanoma and mesothelioma provides yet another example of the critical importance of the detailed genetic analysis of human tumors. Such analysis can lead to the discovery of genes involved in the same tumors that arise spontaneously. This is an important advance in developing our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying these tumors.”

Link

Additional coverage

Drug Discovery & Development

Uveal melanoma is a rare eye cancer. This reports on studies of the progression of malignancy through analysis of EFS (embryonal Fyn-associated substrate) methylation in uveal melanoma culture and normal tissue.

Excerpt: “Conclusions: Biallelic EFS methylation is likely to be the result of a site-directed methylation mechanism.

Based on partial methylation as observed in cultured melanocytes we hypothesize that there might be methylated and unmethylated precursor cells located in the uveal tract. The EFS methylation of a UM may depend on which type of precursor cell the tumor originated from.”

Link

A diagnostic device, called the Vivascope, is being tested to examine skin lesions. The device uses confocal imaging to examine cellular structure and blood supply. If testing proves the usefulness of this device, the number of biopsies could be reduced.

Link

This article describes a new diagnostic device, currently in clinical trials. Scibase AB has designed a handheld device that uses electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technology for the detection of malignant melanoma.

The device won the Frost & Sullivan Europe Technology Innovation Award in Skin Cancer Diagnosis. “results show that the device allows the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant moles with a sensitivity exceeding 98% and specificity over 20 percentage points better than study dermatologists.”

Link

Yervoy (ipilimumab), from Bristol-Myers Squibb, was approved for use in Europe. Comments from UK physicians relate the importance of the new drug in extending survival in stage IV patients.

Link