Melanoma: targeted and immunotherapy
Scientists have once again declared victory over melanoma
Julia Bondar, Copper News
Researchers from Australia have discovered a new combination of treatments that can stop the world's deadliest form of skin cancer – melanoma. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy significantly reduce the risk of relapse and increase survival.
The results of two international experiments conducted by the Sydney-based Melanoma Institute in Australia were successful in preventing the spread of the disease in three patients whose tumors were surgically removed. Until now, these patients were at high risk (40-70%) of relapse of the disease, which rapidly progressed and led to death.
"The results of these clinical studies indicate that we can stop the disease, effectively preventing its spread, and thereby saving the lives of patients," said Georgina Long, medical director of the Institute, in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. "Our ultimate goal – to make melanoma a chronic, not a fatal disease, is now much closer to being achieved," she added.
According to WHO, one out of every three detected cancers is skin cancer, with Australia leading the statistics on this disease. One Australian dies from melanoma every five hours. 90% of patients can be cured surgically, but in 10% of patients melanoma is detected too late, and the disease rapidly metastasizes. Until now, stage III melanoma patients whose tumors were surgically removed simply had to wait to see if they would have metastases. Living with such fear has an extremely negative impact on the patients themselves, as well as on their loved ones.
Immunotherapy + targeted therapy
The scientists conducted two year–long studies, one of them was conducted on the basis of targeted therapy, and the other using immunotherapy. Both experiments were successful in preventing the spread of the disease. In the first case, targeted therapy using a combination of two drugs (dabrafenib and trametinib) blocked the action of the mutant BRAF gene, which is the driver for melanoma. The study showed that this therapy not only stopped the development of stage III melanoma, but also increased the overall survival of patients.
In the second study, patients underwent immunotherapy with nivolumab or ipilimumab drugs designed to target the immune system to attack melanoma cells. The results showed that nivolumab significantly reduces the likelihood of relapse.
"These clinical trials show that we now have ways to prevent the growth and spread of melanoma in cases that we previously could not affect," Long said. "This discovery will change the way melanoma is treated around the world, as we no longer need to passively wait to see if melanoma is spreading."
Swiss scientists have duplicated the discovery
Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has also announced successful trials of its targeted melanoma drugs. According to data published at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress in Madrid, the combination of Novartis Tafinlar and Mekinist reduced the risk of recurrence or death from melanoma by 53% compared to the group of patients with stage III of the disease who received a placebo.
Immunotherapy proved to be effective in the early stages of the disease
At the same congress in Madrid, scientists stated that drugs for melanoma immunotherapy, previously used in the middle and late stages of the disease, are very effective in its initial stages. Thus, representatives of Bristol-Myers indicated in their report that Opdivo, which is already widely used in advanced cancer, can prevent relapses in patients with melanoma if it is prescribed immediately after surgery as adjuvant therapy.
Earlier MedNovosti has already written that two teams of scientists have announced that they have created and successfully tested a neoantigenic vaccine that prevents the development of melanoma. In the future, this method will be able to radically change the ideas about the treatment of this most serious disease.
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12.09.2017