Category: News
Highlights from the 2019 Scientific Retreat
30 May 2019 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, Melanoma Stories, News, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Over the course of three days, MRA convened over 300 people from across the melanoma research community: patients, doctors, researchers, industry, and government. Participants discussed everything from new treatment approaches such as RNA-based vaccines, strategies to fight back against treatment resistance, and hurdles to testing neo-adjuvant therapies in melanoma.
Research is Hope: MRA Announces $8.2 Million for New Grant Awards to Advance Melanoma Research
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 30 April 2019 In News, Science
In advance of Melanoma Awareness Month, the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, today announced funding for 33 innovative research awards totaling $8.26 million.
Fight Back Give Back with Clinical Trials
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 24 February 2019 In News, Science
When patients understand all of their options, including clinical trials, they can make informed decisions about their care. For many patients, clinical trials represent the best possible way to get access to cutting-edge treatment options.
MRA Advisor & Grantee Dr. Allison Awarded Nobel Prize for Transforming Cancer Care
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 28 November 2018 In News, Science, Treatment
MRA Scientific Advisory Panel Member & Grantee Dr. Allison Awarded Nobel Prize for his pioneering research to harness the power of the immune system to attack cancer. His work in immunotherapy, which began in the 1990’s, was audacious at the time. It helped to mainstream an entirely new class of tools in the arsenal against cancer; joining the likes of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
Uveal ‘Clusters’ in Auburn, AL and Huntersville, NC
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 18 July 2018 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, News, Science, Treatment
When we talk about melanoma, it’s easy to forget that cutaneous – the most common variety that forms on the skin – isn’t the only game in town. Uveal represents about 5% of all melanomas diagnosed each year. So, when dozens of people from two towns in North Carolina and Alabama were diagnosed with the rare cancer alarm bells sounded.
Why it Matters: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Endorses Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling for Children and Young Adults
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 20 May 2018 In News, Prevention
This government-backed panel just put skin cancer prevention counseling on the map.
Our Research Saves Lives: MRA Grants Over $100 Million in Ten Years
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 25 April 2018 In News, Science
Through powerful research, the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is quickly delivering results and saving lives. In ten years, the Melanoma Research Alliance has become the largest, non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide. In fact, with Tuesday's announcement of 28 new grant awards – MRA has now funded $100 million in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment!
The Microbiome, is it the Deciding Factor for Immunotherapy Success?
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 10 January 2018 In News, Science
It's been nearly seven years since the first FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitor for melanoma came on the market and doctors, researchers, and patients all keep asking: "who is most likely to benefit from immunotherapy? How can we make this work for more people?" Thankfully, the answer may be closer than we thought and the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and other bugs - which make up our microbiome - may have something to say about it.
FDA Approves Nivolumab in Adjuvant Setting - Is it a Big Deal?
21 December 2017 In News, Science, Treatment
The US FDA approved the use of nivolumab (Opdivo) in the adjuvant setting on December 20, 2017. This means that nivolumab may be used to treat melanoma patients with lymph node involvement or metastatic disease after complete surgical resection to reduce the risk of their disease recurring.
Introducing Clinical Trial Navigator: Start Searching Today
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 5 December 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, News, Science, Treatment
At MRA, we know that advancing science is our best bet in the fight against melanoma. More than 87,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, and with these numbers on the rise, researchers are working harder than ever to find new and better treatment options. In fact, there are over 300 clinical trials happening in melanoma right now.