Fifty-three patients were treated with carboplatin, weekly treatments of paclitaxel (Taxol) and biweekly bevacizumab. Researchers found that the treatment was well tolerated and prevented the tumor from spreading from eight to nearly 24 weeks.

The number of new melanoma cases has continued to rise at a rate of about 5 percent to 10 percent each year since the 1970s, Dr. Markovic says. Why" One cause, he says, is depletion of the ozone layer, but also, more cases are coming to light due to greater public awareness.

"The increase in incidence is a big worry, particularly when we still do not have an effective treatment. That's why this step, however small, is important," Dr. Markovic says.

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Contact: Amy Reyes
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
3-Jun-2007