Oncologists Tout Improvements In Melanoma Treatment
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Oncologists from around the country are in Chicago for a five-day conference, noting improvements in the treatment of melanoma.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Michele Fiore reports, information was released over the weekend as part of the 2011 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology being held at McCormick Place through Tuesday.
Dr. Lynn Schuchter of the University of Pennsylvania, who is attending the Chicago conference, said this weekend that two new treatments are extending the lives of those with advanced-stage melanoma.
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Those include VemurAfenib, which treats patients, based on their genetics. It seems to help those who carry a mutation in the BRAF gene. About half of all people diagnosed with melanoma do have this mutation.
The second drug, Ipilumumab, also known as Yervoy, encourages the immune system to fight off the cancer when used in combination with chemotherapy.
"The purpose of it is to rev up the immune system to attack melanoma, but it also can attack normal organs, so patients get more of an immune-adverse reaction, so the intestines can be affected," Schuchter said.
Ipilumumab was recently FDA-approved.
Dr. Schuchter says she expects the FDA to approve Vemurafenib before the end of the year.
