News

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Yervoy (ipilimumab) for treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Roche officials say phase 2 trials of vismodegib, the company’s experimental oral skin cancer drug, suggest that the treatment has the ability to shrink advanced basal cell carcinoma tumors in some patients, Dow Jones Newswires reports.

New research suggests that a protein associated with wound healing could prove helpful in preventing the spread of tumors or fibrosis, Medical News Today reports.

Patients with recent-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD) tend to have a high prevalence of insufficient vitamin D levels, but - contrary to expectation - concentrations of the vitamin do not appear to decline as the disease progresses, Medical News Today reports.

A drug commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis also appears capable of inhibiting the growth of malignant melanoma, ScienceDaily.com reports.

New technology developed by a University of Rochester (N.Y.) optics professor may enable doctors to examine potentially cancerous skin lesions without having to physically biopsy them, ScienceDaily.com reports.

Results of a new study suggest that men who take the drug finasteride to halt male pattern hair loss may experience an ongoing reduction in sex drive and, in some cases, prolonged periods of erectile dysfunction even after they stop using the drug, Medical News Today reports.

A new study suggests that self-treating skin eruptions by using a tanning bed may cause more problems than it solves, ScienceDaily.com reports.

Children who have more severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, are less likely to outgrow allergies to milk or eggs, Medical News Today reports.

Dentists in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have begun marketing cosmetic treatments, Healthland.Time.com reports.

Recently published survey results suggest that when it comes to using dietary supplements, dermatologists are more likely than other specialists to practice more than they preach, PRNewswire-USNewswire reports.

AstraZeneca has signed a five-year agreement with Swiss dermatological specialist Galderma Pharma to develop new treatments for conditions including psoriasis, acne and atopic dermatitis, InPharm.com reports.

A health-services research firm says high healthcare costs have spawned a boom in Americans traveling to Asia to undergo - among other procedures - aesthetic surgery, the online Los Angeles Times reports.

While past studies have linked shift work to a higher risk of various types of cancer, a new study suggests that shift work may be associated with a reduced risk of skin cancer in women, ScienceDaily.com reports.

A plastic surgeon is conducting a clinical trial testing the use of botulinum toxin A on severe cases of vaginismus, msnbc.com reports.

EndyMed Medical announced that it has received Food and Drug Administration clearance for its Fractional Skin Resurfacing Applicator, PRWeb.com reports.

Drugmaker Intendis has developed a smart phone application, or app, designed to provide sufferers of mild to moderate rosacea with information and support to help manage their condition.

A University of Missouri forestry professor has found that a species of cedar tree carries an antibiotic that appears to be effective against the bacterial infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Sify.com reports.

New research suggests that a significantly higher vitamin D intake than previously thought is required to reach blood levels that can prevent or lower the incidence of breast cancer and other major diseases, Newswise.com reports.

Recently published survey results suggest that women are more likely than men to feel their quality of life has been affected by melanoma - even as long as a decade after diagnosis, MedPage Today reports.

The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour hits the road again this month.

Vanishing Breed : Small practices feel squeeze; still, ‘niche’ opportunities remain Vitamin D Status : Study: Skin cancer patients show insufficiency, deficiency Special Report : Advances in cosmeceuticals

Stem cell products hold the promise of skin rejuvenation and skin repair, and the science that supports the claims of their benefits makes sense, but there are scant clinical studies in human subjects that demonstrate their efficacy and safety.

Dermatologist Carl R. Thornfeldt, M.D., has plenty of options. He could work in academia or make more money working for corporate America. Instead, he chooses to practice in Fruitland, Idaho, a town of about 3,000 located 57 miles west of Boise.

The approval of the prostaglandin analog Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03 percent) represents a major advance in offering a solution for cosmetic enhancement of eyelashes, according to a professor of dermatology, director of the cosmetic and laser division, Saint Louis University, St. Louis.

Businesses have found sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to be effective ways to keep their name in the public, and physicians continue to sign on as they explore ways to keep in touch with patients.

Cutting-edge experimental therapies are showing promise in clinical trials as nonsurgical alternatives for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and actinic keratosis (AK), says Ellen S. Marmur, M.D., who spoke at the 2010 joint annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery.

When it comes to skin-lightening, hydroquinone remains the gold standard, offering efficacy in reducing melanin hyperpigmentation. But various factors have given rise to interest in alternatives to hydroquinone. While none offers the efficacy of hydroquinone and few stand out as being significantly more effective than the others, there is no shortage of options.

Researchers studying the link between photoprotection adherence and vitamin D levels in skin cancer patients did not find an association between these two parameters, but did find that melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer patients seemed to have a tendency toward vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency.

Results from a multicenter phase 2 open-label study corroborate promising outcomes of a phase 1 trial showing the oncogene-targeted oral agent RG7204 as a promising treatment for metastatic melanoma (MM). Also known as PLX4032, RG7204 is being codeveloped by Genentech and Plexxikon. It acts to selectively inhibit oncogenic BRAF, a serine-threonine protein kinase that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of melanoma.