SKIN CANCERS

Although it is the second most common form of skin cancer in the United States, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma can often be effectively treated with a variety of surgical modalities, such as standard excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, curettage and electrodessication, and cryosurgery.

There has been a rapid expansion to the treatment landscape for adjuvant melanoma and there is no head-to-head comparative data for the challenge of selecting between immunotherapy and targeted therapy. When selecting a type of therapy, communicating relative merits and risks of both options to patients is necessary in making a shared decision, said Hussein Tawbi, MD, PhD.

According to Anna C. Pavlick, BSM, MS, DO, MBA, the treatment landscape for&nbsp;cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma has changed dramatically in September 2018. During her session at the&nbsp;<em>36th Annual</em> CFS^&reg;, she said this is due to PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab, the first agent approved specifically for advanced CSCC.

Igor Puzanov, MD, MSCI, FACP, discusses the current and potential future utility of T-VEC in patients with advanced-stage melanoma.

Skin Cancer

I think one of the most important advancements in biomedical technology that has improved our understanding of the complexities of cancer is the ability to sequence the cancer genome for any individual patient, in a rapid and cost-effective manner, to help us make treatment decisions in the clinic.

Groundbreaking developments in cancer therapies can change lives, extending survival and sending patients who previously thought their chances were slim into remission. But these therapies come at a cost, and many patients reel at the prospect of heavy financial burdens. To help patients and programs meet the challenges of affording cancer treatments, community cancer centers are expanding the role of financial advocates in their organizations.

Thomas A. Gallo, MS, MDA, president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, discusses his mission as president to &ldquo;reflect, renew, and reignite&rdquo; in order to create a more resilient oncology team for the community.

In long-term follow-up results from the&nbsp;COMBI-AD trial, the relapse-free survival benefit with&nbsp;adjuvant dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) was confirmed in&nbsp;patients with resected stage III <em>BRAF</em>-mutant melanoma. The follow-up data were reported by Georgina Long, MBBS, PhD, during the 2018 ESMO Congress in Munich, Germany.

Larotrectinib induced an objective response rate of 80% in patients with advanced solid tumors who harbored&nbsp;<em>NTRK&nbsp;</em>gene fusions, according to results pooled from 3 small trials of the TRK inhibitor. Results were presented during the 2018 ESMO Congress.

Rising prescription drug prices continue to add to the burden of paying for quality healthcare. In an effort to confront such costs, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has rescinded a prohibition on step therapy for Medicare Advantage plans. But some contend such a policy will reduce patient access to optimal medication.

Hassane M. Zarour, MD,&nbsp;discussed the research surrounding manipulation of the gut microbiome to improve response to immunotherapy in melanoma and other tumor types.

Paolo A. Ascierto, MD, discusses how results from the COLUMBUS trial affect the treatment landscape for patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma.

Hassane M. Zarour, MD, discusses the addition of antibiotics to immunotherapy treatment in patients with melanoma.&nbsp;

James P. Allison, PhD, and Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD, have been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering research that led to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. The award was announced in a statement from the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet on Monday.

Cemiplimab (Libtayo) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of&nbsp;patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or patients with locally advanced CSCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation.

According to an announcement from Array BioPharma, the company developing the regimen, the European Commission approved the combination of encorafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, and binimetinib, a MEK inhibitor, for treatment of adult patients with&nbsp;<em>BRAF</em>&nbsp;V600&ndash;mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

Paolo A. Ascierto, MD, discusses&nbsp;results from the COLUMBUS trial and sheds light on how physicians can use these findings when choosing treatments for their patients. He also shared his insights on the CheckMate 238 trial investigating nivolumab in the adjuvant setting.

Sanjiv S. Agarwala, MD, chairman of medical oncology at St. Luke&rsquo;s University Health Network, discusses the combination of immunotherapy and a histone deacetylase inhibitor in patients with melanoma, as well as other types of cancer.