Melanoma and Immunotherapy with Dr. Margaret Callahan and Sharon Belvin

Dr. Margaret Callahan, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is joined by melanoma veteran, Sharon Belvin, to discuss how immunotherapy is increasing survival rates for patients with metastatic melanoma and how doctors are bringing the benefits of immunotherapy to more melanoma patients. #melnm #CRIsummit #immunotherapy https://summit.cancerresearch.org/

00:00- Tamron Hall introduces Dr. Margaret Callahan and Sharon Belvin
00:38- Dr. Callahan discusses melanoma and immunotherapy
06:13- Sharon leads a Q&A from the audience with Dr. Callahan

Immunotherapy has forever changed the way melanoma is treated. Checkpoint inhibitors, beginning with the landmark 2011 FDA approval of ipilimumab (Yervoy®), are responsible for the increasing survival rates for patients with metastatic melanoma. https://www.cancerresearch.org..../Immunotherapy/Cance

Questions from the audience for Dr. Callahan:
- I am now curious about long-term survival rates. Is there any data you can share?
- I have severe side effects from treatment and my doctors are unsupportive in reducing or managing my side effects because scans show no more cancer! I'm feeling debilitated, what should I do now?
- Four people in my family had melanoma. Should I request a genetic study of my tumor?
- I will be going to a medical center to discuss enrolling in an immunotherapy clinical trial. What questions should I be asking in the meeting?
- How long does it take to know if immunotherapy is working for you?
- How long does immunotherapy treatment usually last?
- What are the common side effects your patients experience when starting immunotherapy? How do you treat them?

Dr. Margaret Callahan is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), clinical director, Immune Monitoring, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSK, and laboratory member in the Ludwig Center at MSK. Her research is focused on clinical and translational efforts to better understand the mechanisms that govern the clinical activity and toxicity associated with combination strategies for immunotherapeutic agents. She is involved in the research and development of novel immunotherapies to treat melanoma and other cancers, and the development of innovative approaches to monitoring patients treated with immunotherapy. https://www.cancerresearch.org..../en-us/scientists/cr

Sharon Belvin, Melanoma Veteran
In 2004, Sharon was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma when she was just 22 years old. After chemotherapy and interleukin-2, her oncologist, Dr. Jedd Wolchok at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told her about a new type of treatment called ipilimumab (Yervoy®) that “takes the brakes off” the immune system. She almost immediately agreed to enroll in the study. After only a few rounds of treatment, scans revealed that her tumors had shrunk by 60 percent. She has been in remission since. https://www.cancerresearch.org..../en-us/immunotherapy

The 2021 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit is part of the Cancer Research Institute's Answer to Cancer Patient Education Program. It was offered free of charge, connecting cancer patients and caregivers with scientific and medical experts. This year’s Summit highlighted the growing implications of immunotherapy for more than 10 cancer types, provided education on the basics of immunotherapy and how clinical trials work, and addressed cancer care disparities. https://www.cancerresearch.org..../en-us/patients/immu

Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. https://www.cancerresearch.org

Cancer Research Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 13-1837442. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

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  Melanoma