Yervoy FDA Approved – Melanoma Drug

Advanced Melanoma Drug FDA Approved

The FDA announced at the end of March (25) 2011 that the new drug called Yervoy was officially approved for treatment  for Skin Cancer Melanoma. The Yervoy drug patent holder is the medical research company Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. According to the FDA this new Yervoy Melanoma drug can extend the advanced melanoma skin cancer patients life by four month on average.

Melanoma is The Leading Cause of Death

By the FDA research the melanoma skin cancer decease is the fiercest and deadliest from all skin deceases. In the US at 2010, 68,130 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed, at 2010 according to the National Cancer Institute 8,700 have died.

How Yervoy Extend Melanoma patients Life

With the active ingredients, the new Melanoma drug approved – Yervoy, is allowing the body’s immune system to recognize cancerous cells, target them and isolate them, and let the natural body immune system to attack cells in melanoma tumors.

Melanoma – Skin Cancer

One of the main causes for skin cancer and the later development of Melanoma is the exposure to sun rays, UVA and UVB. By statistics, in sunny areas the Melanoma symptoms and early signs show in high percentage in the population, than in the more northern parts of the states (and the world). Those people in the advanced stages may need the Yervoy FDA approved drug to support the body in it’s fight against tumor expansion.

How To Avoid Skin Cancer Risks

The exposure to sun light and ultra Violet rays in large quantities is one of the main causes to the development in cancerous tumors at the skin (Melanoma), this can be from direct sun light or from excessive skin exposure to tanning light and UV light at the tan booth.

It is recommended to try and avoid lengthly exposures to the sun, by avoiding walking or staying at the peak of the sunny hours (11:00 – 15:00) in these hours the UV sun rays are at their most harmful state and the UV levels are higher than morning or afternoon hours.

Use protective gear, like hats, sunglasses, long sleeve shirts and walking / staying in shaded places rather then in direct sunlight. These guidelines can prevent skin cancer and Melanoma from erupting and may delay the advanced stages of this terrible cancer type from defeating the body immune system.

Protect Your Children From Sun Rays

For parents it is important to know that children are more vulnerable to the harming sun rays than adults, as their skin is usually more fair and the melanin production is still low at early ages. This is important to keep children away from playing too much at the ‘hot hours’ of mid-day sunlight.

Also it is crucial that they are not left without shirts at the pool or seaside, as then their skin is exposed to the UV rays all over their body, with the pale skin absorbing too much sun light. The cancerous cells can begin then to develop as they young body has no melanin defense from these rays.

Yervoy Skin Cancer Drug

Unfortunately the Yervoy Melanoma Drug will have a very expensive price tag beside it, and may not be affordable to many of the new melanoma diagnosed people. If you want to read more on skin cancer and the side effects from laser hair removal treatments see these articles: