All articles tagged with #melanoma
UCLA researchers found that creatine helps energize dendritic cells, which present tumor fragments to T cells, slowing melanoma growth in mice and potentially supporting immunotherapies; the study, published in iScience, does not yet justify dietary changes for patients and human trials are needed.
Dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry stresses her own routine of monthly self-checks, scalp inspections with help from a hairstylist, and photo comparisons to spot melanoma and other skin cancers early. She watches for the ABCDE signs, ugly-duckling moles, nail streaks, and changes in new or existing spots, while advocating sunscreen use and new UVA-covering options like Bemotrizinol to improve prevention.
Five or more blistering sunburns during ages 15–20 can boost melanoma risk by about 80%, with risk rising with burn severity and age; sun exposure damages skin DNA, and while there’s no proven way to reverse damage after a sunburn, prevention—covering up, applying broad‑spectrum sunscreen generously 30 minutes before sun exposure, and reapplying about every two hours—is the best defense; with roughly 88 million U.S. adults experiencing sunburn annually, reducing exposure is crucial.
Dermatologists say the most commonly missed early sign of skin cancer is a new pigmented spot that looks like a mole or freckle. Changes in existing moles matter, but a new lesion can be the first clue, so see a dermatologist if you notice one. Protect your skin from UV exposure with SPF 50+ and protective clothing, especially during peak sun hours. A family history or fair skin increases risk, so annual (or higher-risk) skin checks are advised. Early detection dramatically improves melanoma survival (about 99% five-year survival when caught early, vs. 68% after it has spread).
USF researchers collected Antarctic ascidians (sea squirts) and found toxins they produce can kill melanoma cells in mice, suggesting potential for a new melanoma treatment. Developing a safe, human-approved drug will require extensive lab work, animal studies, and synthetic production, with ongoing NSF-funded collaborations to reproduce the toxin and move toward trials while addressing ecological and safety concerns.
Heat waves raise sunburn and skin cancer risk, so doctors advise using the ABCDE checklist to spot melanoma early: A for asymmetry, B for irregular borders, C for color variation, D for diameter over 6mm, and E for evolution (changes over time). If a mole looks suspicious or changes, consult a clinician promptly since early diagnosis improves outcomes. Those at higher risk—pale-skinned individuals, tanning bed users, or those with a family history—should be especially vigilant, and self-referral options may be available for cancer care.
UK melanoma diagnoses are at record highs, driven by an aging population and cumulative UV exposure, while tanning trends, sunbeds, and online misinformation from wellness influencers push risky sun habits. Experts warn there’s no safe tan, note that traditional masculine norms can deter sunscreen use, and call for stronger online regulation, UV-safety education in schools, campaigns to debunk myths, and policies to curb sunbed use and improve sunscreen affordability as climate change increases sun exposure.
Renowned melanoma pathologist Richard Scolyer, named Australian of the Year in 2024, died at 59 from a grade‑4 brain cancer (glioblastoma) after he and colleague Georgina Long pursued a bold, self‑initiated immunotherapy approach. The treatment combined immune drugs and a personalized vaccine, with early brain tissue showing increased immune activity and a case report later published in Nature Medicine (2025). The effort has spurred ongoing research and a new clinical trial at Duke University.
A phase 2b trial (KEYNOTE-942) shows adding the personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran to pembrolizumab after melanoma surgery reduces recurrence or death by 49% over five years. The combo also lowers distant metastasis risk by 59% and yields 92.2% overall survival versus 71.3% with pembrolizumab alone. Five-year follow-up found 68.8% cancer-free in the combo group vs 50.9% in controls. The study, conducted in the US and Australia with 107 patients in the combo arm and 50 in control, reported manageable side effects and is guiding a phase 3 trial, with Moderna and Merck funding.
Richard Scolyer, a leading Australian melanoma researcher and co-director of the Melanoma Institute Australia, died at 59 after an aggressive glioblastoma brain tumor; he helped pioneer pre-surgery immunotherapy and a personalized cancer vaccine, spurring early trials in the US and leaving a lasting impact on cancer treatment and research.
A Moderna-developed personalized mRNA vaccine added to surgery and pembrolizumab reduced five-year melanoma recurrence by about half, with roughly 70% cancer-free in the vaccine group versus 49% in the standard group and a nearly 60% reduction in metastasis risk; the vaccine targets 34 neoantigens, is given post-surgery alongside immunotherapy in up to nine doses, and was well tolerated, though results from a larger phase 3 trial are needed to confirm efficacy and potential paradigm shift.
Researchers using real-time imaging show CD169-positive macrophages at the edges of melanoma tumors actively engulf live cancer cells and help signal the immune system, constraining tumor growth even without T cells or B cells. Similar macrophages are found in human samples, suggesting these cells could be mobilized to convert cold tumors to hot and broaden the reach of immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors.
Using intravital two-photon microscopy, researchers watched CD169-expressing macrophages in the skin’s hypodermis engulf live melanoma cells without T or B cells, a finding that depletion of these macrophages worsened tumor growth and that similar macrophage populations were found at human melanoma margins—suggesting a way to turn ‘cold’ tumors ‘hot’ and possibly enhance responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Regeneron’s phase 3 trial of fianlimab with Libtayo failed to beat Merck’s Keytruda as first-line therapy for unresectable melanoma, missing the primary endpoint of progression-free survival despite a numerical edge at the high dose; analysts say late separation of survival curves drove the non-significant result, signaling renewed pipeline pressure even as Regeneron pursues potential salvage paths (head-to-head vs Opdualag) and continues other programs (Factor XI, cemdisiran-pozelimab) as future catalysts.
Regeneron disclosed a late-stage trial evaluating a Libtayo-based combination for melanoma failed to meet its endpoints when compared with Merck’s Keytruda, sparking investor scrutiny of Regeneron’s cancer-immunotherapy program.