The research featured two groundbreaking treatments for advanced melanoma, both of which have been shown to increase survival in patients. The two therapies – Bristol-Myers Squibb’s recently approved Yervoy and Roche’s investigational drug vemurafenib – have given the melanoma community a renewed sense of hope in the battle against this deadly disease.
Research funded by MRF grants helped to lay the groundwork for these crucial breakthroughs. Never before has melanoma received such a heightened level of attention from the world’s oncology community. Two of the six plenary sessions at ASCO 2011 focused on melanoma, underscoring the importance and impact of these two new therapies for patients. Those presentations, attended by thousands of the world’s leading oncologists, were given by Paul Chapman, M.D., a long-time member of the MRF’s Scientific Advisory Council, and Jedd Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D., a past MRF grant recipient. Both researchers work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Other members of MRF’s own Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Melanoma Breakthrough Consortium (MBC) briefed their peers on the promising results of these studies and other exciting developments in the melanoma research landscape. These included Antoni Ribas, M.D. of the University of California, Jeffrey Alan Sosman, M.D. of Vanderbilt University and Christopher D. Lao, M.D. of the University of Michigan.
Yervoy, called ipilimumab during its experimental phase, was approved in March by the FDA. The drug – the first new therapy approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma in more than 13 years – works by bolstering the body’s immune system to fight the disease. The study found Yervoy combined with dacarbazine extended survival by two months compared to dacarbazine and a placebo.
Vemurafenib works by putting the brakes on a mutated gene called BRAF that drives tumor growth in about half of all melanoma patients. Researchers found the drug reduced tumor size and slowed cancer progression in 74 percent of patients who received the treatment.
New Tan Tax Spotlights Connection Between Tanning Beds and Melanoma
July 1 marks the beginning of a new 10 percent federal tax instituted on indoor tanning sessions across the country. Public health experts hope that the new tax will draw attention to the connection between the use of tanning beds and melanoma, the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide.
The “tan tax” is a part of the federal health care legislation passed by Congress earlier this year and one of the first implementations of the new law. Sunless tanning products and services are exempt. The tax is expected to generate $2.7 billion over the next 10 years to help cover uninsured Americans.
“Few people understand that they are truly gambling with their lives when they step into a tanning bed, and we hope the tax will make people think twice,” said Tim Turnham, executive director of the Melanoma Research Foundation. “Just like cigarettes, we expect this tax to impact decision-making, especially among younger users”
The connection between indoor tanning and melanoma is backed by clear, evidence-based research. Data shows that using tanning beds before age 35 increases your risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent and occasionally using tanning beds can triple your chances.
Last year, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer reclassified tanning devices as “carcinogenic to humans.” This decision was based on scientific evidence linking skin cancers and exposure to ultraviolet rays from natural or artificial sources such as tanning beds.
Despite the connection between tanning beds and melanoma, many people continue to tan. As a result, the incidence of people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group, soaring by 50 percent in young women since 1980.
“I frequented tanning salons regularly because it helped me relax and I felt pretty with a tan,” said Kristi Setzer, a 28-year old woman who was diagnosed with melanoma in 2008. “I knew of the risks but didn’t accept I was exposing myself to something that could cause cancer. This tax should be a reality check for people because it absolutely can happen to you and it’s just not worth the risk.”
Nearly 69,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2010, resulting in one death every single hour. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25- to 29-years-old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15- to 29-years-old.
“We’re not against small businesses in our support of the tax, but people need to be fully aware of the health risks,” said Turnham. “If melanoma were easy to cure, we probably wouldn’t see this level of controversy. But this deadly disease can strike men and women of all ages, races and skin types and has few, if any, treatment options for most patients. The key takeaway is that indoor tanning heightens your risks of developing this deadly disease.”
