New Drugs Fight Melanoma

Melanoma patients have reason for optimism. Studies of two new drugs were reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In one study, people with an advanced form of this skin cancer were 63 percent less likely to die when they were treated with an experimental drug called vemurafanib. The medication fights a gene mutation called BRAF found in about half of all melanoma tumors.
Another study considered the benefits of a drug called Yervoy. When added to standard melanoma chemotherapy, it helped patients live two months longer than patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Yervoy seems to help bolster the immune system so it can battle melanoma tumors. Future research will consider the possibility of using both drugs to improve the odds for people with advanced melanoma.
[American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting]