Melanoma Death Rates Are Falling Fast, Thanks to Immunotherapy
Two-year survival rates for patients with advanced melanoma increased quickly after the introduction of ipilimumab in 2011, according to an analysis published the journal Cancer (https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32160).
Using patient information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, researchers compared cancer death rates from 2007–2012. During those years, two-year survival for advanced melanoma increased 3.4 percentage points—and the number jumped to 6.7 percentage points when the calculations included only adults younger than 65 years.
The authors concluded that new immunotherapy treatment options are extending survival for melanoma. As they continue to be approved for use at earlier stages of treatment, more patients—and ones that are healthier from less exposure to other treatments—will be able to benefit.