Hello, Friends!
Today is an exciting day. Today a new drug was approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma...a notoriously difficult cancer to treat. Vemurafenib was approved for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with the BRAF(v600E) mutation.
This is the second melanoma drug to be approved this year; following the lead of ipilumimab.
The trial that demonstrated the efficacy of vemurafenib enrolled 675 patients. Overall survival was increased (Yes!) meaning that patients that were in the group that recieved vemurafenib lived longer than the comparison group that received a standad chemotherapy drug called decarbazine. We do not know the average time that the group that recieved the vemurafenib lived, but we know it is greater than nine and a half months, much better than the sobering 7.9 months that the other group lived.
In another trial over 50% (52% to be exact) had significant shrinkage of their cancer...this is unbelievably good in melanoma cancers.
And remember, this is a tablet, not chemotherapy.
However, one must be aware of the side effects of any drug. Interestingly (and ironically), there is a significant increase in another skin cancer called squamous cell cancer of the skin. This can be easily treated with removal.
So, who would have thought that TWO new drugs for melanoma patients would be approved in the same year; but they have! A great breakthrough for so many wonderful patients suffering from this illness in North Central Washington and around the world.
That is all for now.
Best Regards Always!
Mitch
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