APPROVAL FOR DRUG THAT TREATS MELANOMA:

On Friday, the Food And Drug Administration approved of a new drup that has shown to prolong the lives of patients with skin cancer melanoma.  It is a novel type of cancer drug that works by unleashing the body's own immune system to fight tumors.  In that randomized clinical trial, patients with metastatic melanoma treated with Yervoy lived a median of about 10 months, compared with 6.4 months for patients in a control group.  It has been said that the entire course of treatment costs $120,000, which consists of four infusions given over a three month period.  As a future pediatric oncologist specialist, hopefully, it makes me hopeful to see that people are still finding treatments for cancer.  Hopefully, one day, I can be part of finding the cure for cancer.