Melanoma is the most threatening form of skin cancer but can also start inside the body in the bowel, nose and throat, genito-urinary tract and the back of the eye. Exposure to the sun is thought to drive up to 90% of skin melanomas.

CTRT funds research into melanoma at Mount Vernon with the research team led by Professor Paul Nathan, Dr Heather Shaw, Dr Thomas Carter, Dr Salma Alam and Dr Romaana Mir. We have a dedicated team that run all aspects of clinical trials from patient care to data management. 80% of their salaries are covered by charitable funds and commercial trial income. Our patients have access to the most innovative treatments in part because of the generosity of contributors to CTRT supporting the work of our trials team.

Rarely, melanoma can start in the back of the eye. Uveal melanoma is distinct from skin melanoma and can be associated with particularly poor outcomes.

We have been leading the clinical development of a novel immunotherapy drug called tebentafusp. Prof Nathan is the chief investigator on the recently completed phase III study and the whole CTRT supported study team has been very involved. Patients travelled from many parts of the country to come to Mount Vernon. The drug is the first discovered to significantly improve survival in patients with advanced disease. The study led to the licensing of the drug as a new standard of care internationally.  Prof Nathan is now leading an international adjuvant trial with the EORTC of tebentafusp in patients who have had a high risk primary uveal melanoma to see whether the drug can reduce the risk of future relapse.

CTRT have part funded the PRIMM Study which in February 2023 proved that a Mediterranean diet is associated with improved efficacy of immunotherapy for patients with melanoma.

The Mediterranean diet – enriched in whole grains, fish, nuts, fruit, legumes and vegetables – is a widely recommended model of healthy eating and has shown positive effects in multiple previous studies investigating other indications.

This is encouraging news for melanoma patients and adds to a previous study by Dr Karla Lee, also funded by CTRT, which showed that the gut microbiome is implicated in the response to immunotherapy also.

To read the full journal articles on each study, please click below