Scientists delayed the development of drug-resistant melanoma.

The cancer treatment methods based on a targeted drugs are relatively new in a world of medicine. Now it appears, that by employing two kinds of drugs targeting different points in the same growth factor pathway scientists were able to delay the development of treatment resistant melanoma, which is one of the most malignant types of cancer.

As medicalxpress.com writes:

Combination of targeted treatment drugs delays resistance in melanoma patients September 29, 2012 in Cancer Combined treatment with two drugs targeting different points in the same growth-factor pathway delayed the development of treatment resistance in patients with BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanoma.

“We investigated this combination because of research we and others have conducted into the molecular underpinnings of resistance to BRAF inhibitor therapy,” says Keith Flaherty, MD, of the Massachustts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, lead author of the NEJM report and principal investigator of the study. “We found that adding the MEK inhibitor trametinib to BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib clearly delays the emergence of resistance. In fact, the combination was at least twice as effective as BRAF inhibition alone.”

Source: Technology.org 

POSTED BY : ATHUL MENON