Drug combo shrinks 60% of melanomas

Advanced melanoma patients have been given new hope as an international trial has shown that a combination of the drugs iplimumab and nivolumab could shrink tumours in around 60% of cases.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and the 6th most common cancer in the UK. The immuno-oncological drug combo prevented the cancer from advancing for almost a year in 58% of the 945 patients participating in the trial, with tumors shrinking by at least a third. This data was presented by UK doctors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

A rapidly developing field in tackling cancers, immuno-oncology involves boosting the immune system. The immune system is a powerful defence against infection, although there are so called breaks in that defence to prevent cancer from attacking the body's healthy tissue. Cancer cells very cleverly mutate, disguising themselves as healthy white blood cells and taking advantage of those breaks, thus avoiding detection by the immune system. Iplimumab, approved for use in the UK last year, and nivolumab, expected to gain approval later this year, are both proven in eliminating these breaks.

Joanna Gosling interviewed two of the trial's participants on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. Back in 2013, Cait Chalwin's persistent cough turned out to be stage 4 lung cancer and her prognosis was 18–24 months. Cait received treatment under Dr. James Larkin at The Royal Marsden Hospital, and the first scan showed a significant shrinkage of the tumour, however she reluctantly opted out of the trial after eight weeks because of severe side effects that included excessive vomiting and diarrhoea. She said that such was the effectiveness of the treatment, she almost did not want to admit the seriousness of the side effects.

Another patient, Vicki Brown, found a lump in her breast two years ago, but said it never occurred to her that it might be linked to the removal of two moles five years previously. A particularly aggressive form of melanoma, she was told the disease had spread to her lungs and she had 6–12 months to live. Vicki also received treatment at The Royal Marsden and a scan showed her tumours had shrunk after just one month. She too experienced severe side effects, which even included meningitis and hepatitis, but agreed with fellow trial participant Cait that the end result justified the means as the tumours are significantly smaller and more manageable after a year.