(CNN)To treat melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, doctors have turned to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and even immunotherapy, among other treatment options.Yet when it specifically comes to patients whose metastatic melanoma is linked with mutations in the BRAF gene, referred to as V600E or V600K, the best treatment option for those patients has been somewhat unclear -- until now. JUST WATCHEDKnow the warning signs of melanoma ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH Know the warning signs of melanoma 01:23First-line treatment with two types of cancer drugs -- dabrafenib, which inhibits BRAF, plus a MEK inhibitor drug called trametinib -- was found to lead to long-term benefits in about one-third of patients who had melanoma with those gene mutations, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday. The study was simultaneously presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago. About half of all melanomas have changes, or mutations, in the BRAF gene, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma cells with these mutations make an altered BRAF protein that helps them grow, and to treat this cancer, some drugs target that protein and others that are related, such as MEK proteins.So if a melanoma patient has a BRAF mutation and needs targeted therapy to treat their cancer, they may receive a BRAF inhibitor drug, such as dabrafenib, plus a MEK inhibitor drug, such as trametinib -- since combining those drugs appears to work better than using either one alone. Read More Global skin cancer deaths rising for men, but not women, study saysThe new study involved analyzing data from two previous trials that assessed adult melanoma patients who were treated with dabrafenib and trametinib. Dabrafenib is sold as the brand name Tafinlar and trametinib is sold as the brand name Mekinist. That data included 563 patients who were randomly assigned to receive dabrafenib twice daily plus trametinib once daily. Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmith-Kline sponsored the two trials.By five years after first-line treatment with dabrafenib plus trametinib, the researchers found that 19% of the patients were progression-free and the overall survival rate was 34%. By comparison, in the dabrafenib-plus-placebo group and in the vemurafenib group, the five-year overall survival rate was 27% and 23%, respectively.Experimental blood test could detect melanoma skin cancer early, study finds"Our analysis demonstrates that first-line therapy with Tafinlar + Mekinist leads to five-year disease control in about one-fifth of the patients and five-year survival in about one-third of those treated," Dr. Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology unit at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris who was first author of the study, said in a news release on Tuesday. "While metastatic melanoma has historically had a very poor prognosis for patients, there are many reasons to be encouraged to
health,Treatment for certain melanoma patients shows promise - CNN,
(CNN)To treat melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, doctors have turned to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and even immunotherapy, among other treatment options.Yet when it specifically comes to patients whose metastatic melanoma is linked with mutations in the BRAF gene, referred to as V600E or V600K, the best treatment option for those patients has been somewhat unclear -- until now. JUST WATCHEDKnow the warning signs of melanoma ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH Know the warning signs of melanoma 01:23First-line treatment with two types of cancer drugs -- dabrafenib, which inhibits BRAF, plus a MEK inhibitor drug called trametinib -- was found to lead to long-term benefits in about one-third of patients who had melanoma with those gene mutations, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday. The study was simultaneously presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago. About half of all melanomas have changes, or mutations, in the BRAF gene, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma cells with these mutations make an altered BRAF protein that helps them grow, and to treat this cancer, some drugs target that protein and others that are related, such as MEK proteins.So if a melanoma patient has a BRAF mutation and needs targeted therapy to treat their cancer, they may receive a BRAF inhibitor drug, such as dabrafenib, plus a MEK inhibitor drug, such as trametinib -- since combining those drugs appears to work better than using either one alone. Read More Global skin cancer deaths rising for men, but not women, study saysThe new study involved analyzing data from two previous trials that assessed adult melanoma patients who were treated with dabrafenib and trametinib. Dabrafenib is sold as the brand name Tafinlar and trametinib is sold as the brand name Mekinist. That data included 563 patients who were randomly assigned to receive dabrafenib twice daily plus trametinib once daily. Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmith-Kline sponsored the two trials.By five years after first-line treatment with dabrafenib plus trametinib, the researchers found that 19% of the patients were progression-free and the overall survival rate was 34%. By comparison, in the dabrafenib-plus-placebo group and in the vemurafenib group, the five-year overall survival rate was 27% and 23%, respectively.Experimental blood test could detect melanoma skin cancer early, study finds"Our analysis demonstrates that first-line therapy with Tafinlar + Mekinist leads to five-year disease control in about one-fifth of the patients and five-year survival in about one-third of those treated," Dr. Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology unit at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris who was first author of the study, said in a news release on Tuesday. "While metastatic melanoma has historically had a very poor prognosis for patients, there are many reasons to be encouraged to
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