T. Edward Rudd

CHICAGO – Advanced melanoma therapy – a field notorious for offering patients few drugs and little chance of survival – may be on the brink of an extraordinary transformation.

"There’s truly a revolution going in the immunotherapy of melanoma," explained Dr. Steven O’Day of the Beverly Hills (Calif.) Cancer Center.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. O’Day reviews the rapid developments in melanoma treatment options and the shift from a "nuclear bomb" approach to a more-targeted "cruise missile" mindset. He also highlights the parallels between the exceptional advances made in childhood leukemia treatment and new melanoma treatments such as ipilimumab and PD-1 inhibitors, and he discusses the new drugs’ ability to overcome a phenomenon that often defeats chemotherapy: cancer cell resistance.

CHICAGO – Advanced melanoma therapy – a field notorious for offering patients few drugs and little chance of survival – may be on the brink of an extraordinary transformation.

"There’s truly a revolution going in the immunotherapy of melanoma," explained Dr. Steven O’Day of the Beverly Hills (Calif.) Cancer Center.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. O’Day reviews the rapid developments in melanoma treatment options and the shift from a "nuclear bomb" approach to a more-targeted "cruise missile" mindset. He also highlights the parallels between the exceptional advances made in childhood leukemia treatment and new melanoma treatments such as ipilimumab and PD-1 inhibitors, and he discusses the new drugs’ ability to overcome a phenomenon that often defeats chemotherapy: cancer cell resistance.

CHICAGO – Advanced melanoma therapy – a field notorious for offering patients few drugs and little chance of survival – may be on the brink of an extraordinary transformation.

"There’s truly a revolution going in the immunotherapy of melanoma," explained Dr. Steven O’Day of the Beverly Hills (Calif.) Cancer Center.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. O’Day reviews the rapid developments in melanoma treatment options and the shift from a "nuclear bomb" approach to a more-targeted "cruise missile" mindset. He also highlights the parallels between the exceptional advances made in childhood leukemia treatment and new melanoma treatments such as ipilimumab and PD-1 inhibitors, and he discusses the new drugs’ ability to overcome a phenomenon that often defeats chemotherapy: cancer cell resistance.

CHICAGO – Results from a phase I study of investigational PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab may point the way toward higher treatment response rates and less toxicity in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

Of 411 patients who took pembrolizumab, 1-year overall survival was 69%, and 88% of patients who had a treatment response continued to have a response at 1 year, reported Dr. Antoni Ribas, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. Ribas discussed the study results and explained how PD-1 antibodies help the immune system recognize and mount a more potent T-cell–mediated defense against melanoma.

CHICAGO – Results from a phase I study of investigational PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab may point the way toward higher treatment response rates and less toxicity in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

Of 411 patients who took pembrolizumab, 1-year overall survival was 69%, and 88% of patients who had a treatment response continued to have a response at 1 year, reported Dr. Antoni Ribas, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. Ribas discussed the study results and explained how PD-1 antibodies help the immune system recognize and mount a more potent T-cell–mediated defense against melanoma.

CHICAGO – Results from a phase I study of investigational PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab may point the way toward higher treatment response rates and less toxicity in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.

Of 411 patients who took pembrolizumab, 1-year overall survival was 69%, and 88% of patients who had a treatment response continued to have a response at 1 year, reported Dr. Antoni Ribas, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, Dr. Ribas discussed the study results and explained how PD-1 antibodies help the immune system recognize and mount a more potent T-cell–mediated defense against melanoma.