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Treatment for skin cancer approved

01/30/12

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a treatment for skin cancer called Erivedge, which is meant to treat basal cell carcinoma.

The treatment is intended for use by patients who have locally advanced basal cell cancer and who don't need surgery, or those whose cancer has already spread to other parts of their body.

Erivedge is the first FDA-approved drug for metastatic basal cell carcinoma and was tested under the priority review program that expedites review of drugs offering major advances in treatment, shortening the process to six months.

"Our understanding of molecular pathways involved in cancer, such as the Hedgehog pathway, has enabled the development of targeted drugs for specific diseases," said Richard Pazdur, director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "This approach is becoming more common and will potentially allow cancer drugs to be developed more quickly. This is important for patients who will have access to more effective therapies with potentially fewer side effects."

Considering skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and Americans who live to age 65 have a 40-50 percent chance of having skin cancer at least once, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, life insurance is a smart investment even as treatment methods continue to evolve.

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