A new melanoma treatment strategy nearly halves the risk of skin cancer recurrence within five years, researchers from NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York City reported Monday.
According to the AIM at Melanoma Foundation, most recurrences of the most deadly form of skin cancer occur within the first two to three years after treatment, but melanoma can recur even after more than a decade.
The treatment regimen developed by the researchers could improve patient outcomes.
A key factor is an experimental vaccine developed by the American biotechnology company Moderna. Patients who received both this vaccine, known as Intismeran, and Merck's anti-cancer drug Keytruda, showed better outcomes after tumor removal.
Of 107 American and Australian patients who received the vaccine, nearly 69 percent remained cancer-free after five years, compared with only 49 percent of patients who received Keytruda alone.
A new vaccine-drug combination may help fight recurrent melanoma, researchers announced on Monday. The mRNA vaccine was developed using a patient's tumor (Getty).
«"This means that adding Intismeran to [Keytruda] reduced the risk of relapse or death by 49 percent," NYU Langone Medical Center said.
The treatment also reduced the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body by 59 percent, and the survival rate among those who received the vaccine improved by more than 20 percent.
Intismeran is an mRNA vaccine that works by activating the immune system to fight cancer cells even after the cancer cells have disappeared.
Researchers analyzed patients' cancer tumors after surgery, creating a personalized vaccine for each person that stimulates the immune system to produce protective T cells.
T cells look for abnormal proteins produced by cancer cells, called neoantigens, to better detect elusive cancer cells.
Keytruda also helps make hard-to-reach cancer cells more visible to the immune system. However, although Keytruda is commonly used to treat melanoma, it is not effective for all patients.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. An estimated 112,000 cases of melanoma are expected in 2026 (Getty).
Melanoma cells can become resistant to anti-cancer drugs, so researchers are working on developing vaccines, they said.
«"Our findings also give cancer researchers worldwide confidence that mRNA vaccines like Intismeran may work well in combination with immunotherapy in other cancers where high mutation rates have proven difficult to target," said Dr. Janice Mehnert, associate director of clinical research at the cancer center.
A new melanoma treatment is currently in a 1,000-patient phase III clinical trial, and a vaccine is also being tested for its effectiveness in preventing recurrence of lung cancer and other cancers.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 112,000 new cases of melanoma and 8,500 deaths are expected this year.