Audrey Strumeier Memorial Fund for Melanoma Research
NEW SUCCESSES and DEVELOPMENTS IN TREATING BRAIN METASTASES AND MELANOMA (2017)
"Historically, if you had melanoma and brain metastases, the median survival was four months. Now we have about 20 percent of patients who have been alive for many years after brain metastases having been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and immunotherapy and they appear to be cured."
Kathryn Beal, MD, Radiation Oncologist, MSKCC
Highly focused beams of radiation in combination with the drug ipilimumab for patients with metastatic melanoma have lead to positive outcomes and particularly with metastases of the brain. Another drug, pembrolizumab, has also been successfully studied and is not showing any unusual patient toxicity with the combination approach. This approach of combined therapy will also be studied with non-small cell lung cancer patients where the cancer has spread to the brain. This combination therapy approach remains one the key Strategic Initiatives at MSKCC for 2017 and beyond!
As mentioned in our previous report on combination therapies, President Carter has been treated successfully with this approach in 2015..
In the first-ever Combination Immunotherapy to receive approval by the FDA (October 2015), Dr. Jedd Wolchok, Chief of the Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering, is the physician-scientist leading this work. "Mr. Carter's case is a great example of how far the field has come in a relatively short period", he reported.
Dr. Wolchok pioneered this Combination Immunotherapy treatment for patients with advanced Melanoma. Just a few years ago, patients with Metatstatic Melanoma had few successful treartment choices. This new Combination Immunotherapy shows remarkable results and extends patients's lives! MSK's Jedd Wolchok created and tested the Combination Immunotherapy and lead the approval process.
To learn more about the new therapy and President Jimmy Carter's case, which were posted on MSK's - On Cancer Blog, click on the link below or copy and paste into your browser:
https://www.mskcc.org/blog/understanding-jimmy-carter-s-surprise-turnaround-conversation-jedd-wolchok.
The AUDREY STRUMEIER MEMORIAL FUND FOR MELANOMA RESEARCH has been created in memory and honor of my niece, who lost her battle with Melanoma in March, 2009. Please join with me and help to raise awareness of skin cancer and specifically aid the ever increasing treaments to fight against Melanoma.
Thank You for your continued support and contributions!
Allen Strahl
www.allenmarks.com
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