Chicago Melanoma Consortium

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The Chicago Melanoma Consortium is a collaborative effort of leading medical institutions. Our mission is to provide access to the best treatment and research possible in Chicago for each patient's unique set of needs. Medical resources from diverse specialties offer the breadth and depth necessary for individualized care and state-of-the-art research. The Chicago Melanoma Consortium represents a unique desire to leverage a major metropolitan area's medical resources against the fastest growing cancer in the world.

>> Children's Memorial Hospital

>> Loyola University Medical Center

>> Oncology Specialists at Lutheran General

>> Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University

>> Rush University Cancer Center

>> University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research has found that your chances of surviving Melanoma are directly proportional to proximity of quality care.

>> University of Illinois Medical Center

About Us

Melanoma's aggressive and irregular growth has limited treatment progress for years. But now new advances in biomarkers and genotyping offer more individualized treatment which may impact survival.

The Chicago Melanoma Consortium offers access to leading edge diagnostics, dermatology, surgical oncology and adjuvant therapies. At the sametime, Consortium members dedicate themselves to basic and clinical melanoma research with the goal of developing FDA approved treatments for patients.

Besides clinical trial access, the Consortium promotes patient and family education. The Consortium also serves as a resource and partner for local physicians providing them with the best treatment options for their patients

Clinical Trials

A 5-Year Survivor's Perspective on Clincal Trials

We face a real challenge in advancing research when only 4% of Melanoma patients participate in clinical trials. How can we move Melanoma from a life ending disease to a chronic disease without research? When Susan Steel, the founder of Skin of Steel (a Melanoma Awareness and Research organization), was deciding to participate in her first clinical trial, one resounding fact stuck in her mind. The risk of getting Melanoma for children of Melanoma patients is increased by 50%. It was one thing for Susan to deal with Melanoma, but in her mind it was totally unacceptable for her children to have to face this disease. So with a combination of research help from her advocate team, quality control from her "Quarterback Docs" not involved in the trials, common sense and a bit of courage, Susan entered her first trial as a Stage 3b patient. She has participated in two others and has plans to enroll in more if they make sense and fit her level of acceptable risk. Interestingly, patients willing to participate in clinical trials have a tendency to survive longer.The reason for the association between willingness to participate and survival is unclear. Perhaps, the explanation for this finding may be found in the field of health psychology wherein individuals who believe they have a greater locus of control, defined as one's perceived degree of control over events affecting them, may be more likely to participate in clinical trials. Prior work has suggested that a greater locus of control is associated with improved health outcomes and may be a modifiable risk factor. Source: PubMed.govMany patients are frozen by the fear of being used as a "guniea pig" for science. Susan was blessed with a friend who helped her focus on being an advocate for change in terms of advancing research for an orphan disease that is highly irregular and complex. This disease requires "inspired science" and incredibly dedicated researchers and clinicians. Susan found them in research labs she and her team visited, in the operating room, and in quarantine when her immune system was shut down. At one point, after waiting for weeks for the lab to grow genetically modified t-cells, Susan witnessed a lab tech hand-carry a golden unit of T-cells into her patient room. As the nurse infused the cells, with tears in her eyes the lab tech handed Susan a card signed by the entire lab staff. This is not the behavior scientists have toward guniea pigs. This is not an easy decision. Susan wavered and felt scared during the initial decision making process. Who wouldn't react that way after reading all of the protocol documnetation. Ultimately, however, she participated in clinical trials for her children and those of every other patient fighting Melanoma.Top researchers now anticipate FDA approval of a Melanoma combination therapy within two-and-a-half years. While some researchers anticipate being able to control more than half the Melanomas in five years. If there was ever a time for a Melanoma patient to take a chance and participate in Clinical Trials...it is now.

Please select from the following types of Melanoma:

News and Events

1st Annual Chicago Melanoma Patient SymposiumOctober 1, 2011 ~ 9:00am - 3:00pmHilton Garden Inn - Magnificant Mile 10 E Grand Ave Chicago, IL 60611Sponsored by the Melanoma Research Foundation Spring/Summer 2011May is Melanoma Awareness MonthJust in time for summer, it is time to get the word out about melanoma. Encourage friends, colleagues, relatives, and yourself to take care of the body’s largest organ – your skin! Melanoma is one of the most common cancers. It can occur on any skin surface including under the nail beds, on the scalp under the hair, or on the palms of hands and feet. Melanoma is a form of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole on the skin, but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines.Risk factors are events that increase your risk of getting a disease. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn't mean that you will not get cancer. Risk factors that have been identified in melanoma include: fair complexion (skin that freckles and burns easily, light-colored eyes, red or blonde hair), exposure to natural or artificial sunlight over long periods of time, having a history of many blistering sunburns, having several large or many small moles, family history of unusual moles, family or personal history of melanoma, and being white and male.Sun safety can help decrease the risk factors that are in your control. Using sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater or sun protective clothing will help limit the UV rays that penetrate the skin potentially causing damage. Avoiding artificial sunlight – such as tanning beds – will also help decrease this exposure.Skin surveillance is also important in identifying what is normal for you, and what may be a change or something new. No one knows your body better than yourself. A skin self-exam is used to identify suspicious growths or moles that may be cancer or that may develop into skin cancer. Develop a monthly routine, choose a day that you will remember and perform your self-exam every month on the same day. Look for any abnormal skin growths or changes using the ABCDE’s of melanoma. A: asymmetry where two halves of a mole do not matchB: border as melanomas may have irregular bordersC: color, varied colors within a mole may be a warning signD: diameter greater than ¼ inch or 6mm E: evolution or change in a moleOther features that warrant medical attention are moles that itch, bleed, ooze, are tender, appear scaly, or with redness or color that spread out into surrounding skin. Once you become familiar with what is normal for you, a change will be easier to detect.For more information, visit: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/melanoma
August, 2011FDA approves gene-targeting skin cancer drugThe Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind drug to treat the deadliest form of skin cancer by targeting a particular genetic mutation found in about half of patients. The pill called Zelboraf, made by Roche, is the first treatment for melanoma that targets a specific gene found in skin-cancer tumors. The FDA also approved a test to screen patients for the mutation.The drug was studied in 675 patients who received either Zelboraf or a chemotherapy drug. The study is ongoing, but 77 percent of people on Zelboraf are alive, compared with 64 percent of those taking the older drug, according to the FDA.More than 68,000 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the U.S. last year.http://www.plexxikon.comMarch, 2011FDA approves new treatment for a type of late-stage skin cancer The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Yervoy (ipilimumab) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin disease. An estimated 68,130 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States during 2010 and about 8,700 people died from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Yervoy is a monoclonal antibody that blocks a molecule known as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen or CTLA-4. CTLA-4 may play a role in slowing down or turning off the body’s immune system, affecting its ability to fight off cancerous cells. Yervoy may work by allowing the body’s immune system to recognize, target, and attack cells in melanoma tumors. The drug is administered intravenously. Yervoy’s safety and effectiveness were established in a single international study of 676 patients with melanoma. All patients in the study had stopped responding to other FDA-approved or commonly used treatments for melanoma. In addition, participants had disease that had spread or that could not be surgically removed. The study was designed to measure overall survival, the length of time from when this treatment started until a patient's death. The randomly assigned patients received Yervoy plus an experimental tumor vaccine called gp100, Yervoy alone, or the vaccine alone. Those who received the combination of Yervoy plus the vaccine or Yervoy alone lived an average of about 10 months, while those who received only the experimental vaccine lived an average of 6.5 months. Common side effects that can result from autoimmune reactions associated with Yervoy use include fatigue, diarrhea, skin rash, endocrine deficiencies (gland or hormone), and inflammation of the intestines (colitis). Severe to fatal autoimmune reactions were seen in 12.9 percent of patients treated with Yervoy. When severe side effects occurred, Yervoy was stopped and corticosteroid treatment was started. Not all patients responded to this treatment. Patients who did respond in some cases did not see any improvement for several weeks. Due to the unusual and severe side effects associated with Yervoy, the therapy is being approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to inform health care professionals about these serious risks. A medication guide will also be provided to patients to inform them about the therapy's potential side effects. For full article, please visit: http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm1193237.htm

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Treatment Resources

Education and Patient Advocacy

Chicago BasedOncology Specialists of Lutheran General Hospital Children's Memorial HospitalLoyola University Medical CenterRobert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University Rush University Cancer CenterUniversity of Illinois Medical CenterUniversity of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer CenterNationalCenterwatchClincal Study ResultsClincalTrials.govFaster Cures National Cancer Institute
Chicago BasedJack H. Marston II Melanoma FundSkin of SteelTeb's TroopsNationalAim at MelanomaAmerican Academy of Dermatology-Skin Cancer NetAmerican Association for Cancer ResearchAmerican Cancer SocietyCenter for Disease Control - Melanoma PreventionCancer CareEPA Sunwise ProgramEye Cancer NetworkMelanoma.comMelanoma Education FoundationMelanoma Research AllianceMelanoma Research FoundationNational Melanoma Awareness Project

Contact Us

Interested in the Consortium?

Dr. Howard Kaufman

Dr. June Robinson

Seeking Patient Support or Clinical Trial Information?

Jill Titze, APN

Tel: 312-942-0585

Fax: 312-942-0601

Shiny
Email: Jill_Titze_Rush.edu Shiny

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