Learn about the latest treatments for metastatic melanoma. We’ve got it covered, from new FDA approvals to emerging approaches in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, cancer vaccines, drug combinations, antibody-drug conjugates, and more.

  • September 10, 2021  

    How an Expert Would Treat Her Own Metastatic Melanoma

    With: Pauline Funchain, MD

    Cancer patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cleveland Clinic oncologist Pauline Funchain, MD, how she would handle her own diagnosis of advanced melanoma. Curious Dr. George: What would you do if you personally were discovered on a routine exam to have abnormal liver function tests that led to scans and the… Read more »

  • July 14, 2021  

    What’s New in Melanoma Treatment in 2021?

    Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    I last wrote about melanoma treatment more than 2 years ago, a fairly long time in the evolution of treatments for this type of cancer. Just as a refresher, the current mainstays of drugs to treat melanoma fall into two categories: Now, I highlight new developments in melanoma treatment, including overcoming resistance to ICI. Neoadjuvant (before surgery) treatments for resectable melanoma Some stage III… Read more »

  • August 16, 2021  

    The Latest in Melanoma Treatment: A Guest Perspective

    With: Ryan Sullivan, MD

    What’s new in melanoma treatment? Our chief scientist Emma Shtivelman, PhD, recently outlined the latest options. Here, our Curious Dr. George invites a response from Ryan Sullivan, MD, Associate Director of the Melanoma Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Curious Dr. George: As a melanoma expert, what are your thoughts on the treatments outlined in our… Read more »

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Cancer Commons is extremely engaged and proactive. Its professionals have directed us towards interesting avenues to explore in our search for additional treatment options.

Mark Bezner
Husband of stage IV ovarian cancer patient

Molecular tests help match patients to the personalized treatments that are most likely to work for them. Keep up with new developments in genetic tests, blood tests, liquid biopsies, tumor mutations, other biomarkers, precision medicine, and next-generation sequencing.

Some of the most promising new treatments for metastatic melanoma are currently being tested in patients enrolled in clinical trials. We help you stay up to date on the latest results from these studies.

  • July 30, 2022  

    Relatlimab and Nivolumab vs Nivolumab in Previously Untreated Metastatic/Unresectable Melanoma: Overall Survival and Response From RELATIVITY-047 Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    According to MedPage Today, the addition of the drug relatlimab to treatment with nivolumab improved survival for people with advanced melanoma in a clinical trial.

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  • March 8, 2022  

    Immunotherapy Before Targeted Therapy Extends OS in Metastatic Melanoma Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    As reported by Healio, immunotherapy followed by targeted therapy improved overall survival in a clinical trial with metastatic melanoma patients.

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Now is the time to be very actively involved in your own care.

Tony Blau, MD
University of Washington

Cancer affects many aspects of life, whether you’re newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment, or in follow-up care. Learn about ways to maintain quality of life, such as palliative care and managing side effects.

  • October 14, 2019  

    Pediatric Palliative Care: A Specialty Comes of Age

    Sarah Friebert, MD

    For a child with cancer, palliative care can provide much-needed relief from stress and symptoms—for the patient and their family alike. Palliative care is given alongside cancer treatment, and is not synonymous with “end-of-life” care. In fact, anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, no matter their long-term outlook. Because of its importance for children with cancer, we are honored to… Read more »

  • August 11, 2021  

    Anxiety Before Each Chemotherapy Treatment Bookmark

    Lola Rahib, PhD

    Article from Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer: Pancreatic cancer patients share their experiences with pre-chemo anxiety and their personal strategies for overcoming it.

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  • February 11, 2020  

    ‘Impressed With Impact’ of Ketamine in Cancer Palliative Care Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Depression is, for obvious reasons, common in patients with advanced cancer. The old, inexpensive drug ketamine—already approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—seems rapidly effective, according to small studies.

    Go to full article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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You’re not alone. Read how other patients and caregivers navigated diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer. We hope their stories provide insights and hope for your own cancer journey.

More patient stories

Learn more about what’s new in advanced cancer research and treatment, including screening and statistics, using artificial intelligence to improve treatment, and other new horizons in cancer care.

  • July 11, 2024  

    The Personalized Power of the “N-of-1” Approach

    With: Glenn Sabin

    Randomized, controlled clinical trials with a large N—number of participants—are the recognized “gold standard” of evidence-based medicine. Even so, the results of large-N trials can only reveal population averages, and are not predictive of any individual’s response to a given treatment. On the other hand, one can consider every patient with cancer as the sole participant in their own clinical trial with an Nof1, even if the trial is not… Read more »

  • November 10, 2022  

    A Powerful Knowledge Base for Precision Oncology

    With: Hongxin Zhang

    Genetic mutations found in a tumor can be important clues to the patient’s best treatment options. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York has developed a product called OncoKB™, which enables anyone to access and navigate key clinical information about the various genetic abnormalities that may be found in tumors. Here, Curious Dr. George asks MSK Lead Software Engineer Hongxin Zhang about… Read more »

  • June 2, 2022  

    Harnessing Each Patient’s Data to Help Many More

    With: Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD

    At Cancer Commons, we don’t just help people navigate cancer treatment; we learn from everyone we help. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cancer Commons Clinical Scientist Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD, to share how new knowledge can be captured from every patient to help many more. Curious Dr. George: Cancer Commons has accumulated in-depth data on many hundreds of patients with various cancers. Because of the… Read more »

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The coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to cancer patients. We can help you understand how COVID-19 might impact your treatment and other aspects of your cancer care.