New treatment extends life of advanced melanoma patients

Half of people live five years or more with combination immunotherapy treatment, study finds

Half of people diagnosed with advanced melanoma, which once had dismal survival rates, are now living for five years or more when they receive a combination immunotherapy treatment, a study has shown.

A decade ago, only one in 20 patients were still alive after five years. Most died within six to nine months. Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden hospital in London, who have pioneered the work, said the five-year survival rate for just over half of their patients was a landmark.