Immunotherapy is helping cancer patients, including those with melanoma, to more successfully fight their diseases. However, a new study released in this month’s Cancer Discovery highlights the fact that a more personalized approach could be even more successful. Brief background… immunotherapy works by activating the body’s T cells to find and destroy cancer cells. Obviously, this only works if the T… Read more »
The 2018 NCRI Cancer Conference recently wrapped up in Glasgow, Scotland. One of the most disheartening research results reported is the fact that the rate of men dying from melanoma has risen around the world. So, you might ask, isn’t the rate of melanoma death rates rising anyway? Well, in some countries the death rates are steady or even falling for… Read more »
Last year was one of the best travel years I’ve ever had. This year, well, while I did do some traveling, it was mostly either for work or up to Ohio or for my birthday/mourning my dad (although I did get to do my Florida Adam Ant midlife concert tour earlier in the year too). But I have another trip… Read more »
Scientists know that melanoma has a genetic component – mutations have been found in up to 40% of families with a high rate of melanoma. If you have a first-degree relative with melanoma, you are 2-3 times more likely to develop the disease. And the more relatives you have with melanoma, the risk rate increases drastically. There are several genes… Read more »
It’s not a stretch to say that this has been one of the most challenging years I’ve had since my melanoma diagnosis in 2014. Between losing my dad to having some significant battles over getting the water damage to my condo repaired to recent corporate developments that may leave my position “redundant” sometime around the holidays, it just seems like… Read more »
Immunotherapy has been featured a lot on this blog because of the potential to dramatically improve the survival rates of cancer patients, including those struck by melanoma. Obviously, I’m not the only one excited about the progress made in this field. This year’s Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to two immunology researchers – Dr. James Allison of the MD… Read more »
Despite the roller coaster weather we’ve been having here in Austin, this is a really fun place to live. Austin City Limits is the annual 2 October weekends of over 100 artists, 6 stages, food, and more. It can be exhausting to try to experience everything ACL has to offer in 3 days, a lesson I learned the hard way… Read more »
I know I post a lot of stories about immunotherapy. The potential for that type of treatment could revolutionize how we fight melanoma. But a new study caught my eye and it’s definitely an intriguing avenue of research. Some melanoma tumors arise from a mutation in the BRAF gene, most common type being the V600E (but there are other mutation… Read more »
I’m looking out of my window and it’s been this weird misty fog every morning here in Austin for the last week or so. Sometimes, it burns off in the afternoon. Sometimes, it lingers all day. Usually the weather in October here is glorious but so far this month, it’s been highly unusual. But maybe this weather is perfect for… Read more »
There has been a flurry of news reports regarding a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that claims scientists may have developed a vaccine that when used in conjunction with other cancer therapies increases the chances of melanoma survival rates. The researchers developed a so-called cancer vaccine and then decided to look at whether using a combination… Read more »