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New Drugs Fight Melanoma

Melanoma patients have reason for optimism. Studies of two new drugs were reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In one study, people with an advanced form of this skin cancer were 63 percent less likely to die when they were treated with an experimental drug called vemurafanib. The medication fights a gene mutation called BRAF found in about half of all melanoma tumors.
Another study considered the benefits of a drug called Yervoy. When added to standard melanoma chemotherapy, it helped patients live two months longer than patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Yervoy seems to help bolster the immune system so it can battle melanoma tumors. Future research will consider the possibility of using both drugs to improve the odds for people with advanced melanoma.
[American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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