May 31, 2025 — A phase II clinical trial led by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that the combination of avelumab and cetuximab improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared to avelumab alone in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). The results, presented as an oral abstract at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, suggest a promising new approach for patients with this aggressive form of skin cancer.

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has identified a diagnostic aid that has the potential to accurately predict the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcers that appear to be fully healed. By measuring the skin’s barrier function through a process known as trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL, scientists were able to determine which wounds were more likely to reopen. TEWL measurements are a major factor in burn care, where deep layers of the skin are often damaged. The findings suggest that full restoration of skin barrier function should be incorporated into existing wound treatment standards to ensure complete wound closure and to better identify patients at risk of wound recurrence.