Melanoma deaths have reversed course

The first images from early trials aiming a new generation of treatments at melanoma are unforgettable: Tumors were melting away from bodies covered with them. In the last decade, the most serious skin cancer has become more treatable by targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors, although resistance can develop. Still, a new study tracks a remarkable reversal. There was a steady 7.5% climb in deaths among white Americans (who account for almost all cases) from 1986 through 2013, but then the rate plummeted by 17.9% over the next three years. Ten new treatments were approved in 2011 alone, and diagnosis also improved, the researchers note. Also this: The mortality decline outpaces drops in deaths from prostate, breast, lung, and colon cancer.