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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Hope may be on the horizon for people with the most deadly form of skin cancer.
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute researchers are reporting positive results for a new combination therapy aimed at using the bodys own immune system against the disease.
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The new treatment combines the traditional melanoma skin cancer treatment, high-dose interferon alfa-2b, with an antibody known as tremelimumab. Tremelimumab is believed to spur the immune system to attack cancerous tumors.
The therapy was used in 16 patients who failed to respond to traditional treatment. Researchers noted a 19 percent response rate, with tolerable side effects. Theyre now planning to study the combo therapy in another group of 21 patients.
With each new study, we learn something important about melanoma, study author John M. Kirkwood, M.D., was quoted as saying. With this study, we learned that adding tremelimumab to traditional treatment is not only safe, but an effective way to induce an anti-tumor response, which is very exciting.
Although melanoma is the rarest form of skin cancer, its responsible for the majority of deaths from the disease and can only be effectively treated with surgery. But some patients such as those in this study cannot be treated surgically, which increases the importance of research to find therapeutic agents to treat the disease.
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SOURCE: Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, June 1, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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