ROCHESTER, Minn., June 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. study found two chemotherapy drugs with an agent that prevents blood vessel growth delayed tumor spread in metastatic melanoma patients.
In the phase II clinical trial of 53 patients at the Mayo Clinic, researchers said tumor growth was delayed by nearly six months, whereas such cancers typically begin spreading again eight weeks after chemotherapy treatment.
But the scientists caution that while the findings are promising, they are preliminary.
"This is the most effective treatment we have ever tested at Mayo Clinic for this type of cancer, but the results need to be validated," said Dr. Svetomir Markovic, a Mayo Clinic oncologist and the study's principal investigator. "It is important for the public to know there is hope for patients with melanoma."
The study was presented Sunday in Chicago during the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Oncology.
