BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- More than 8,600 Americans died from melanoma last year. Metastatic melanoma is known to be an aggressive skin cancer with few promising treatments.

But a small, early study showed that a new targeted therapy called PLX4032 is associated with significant tumor shrinkage in 80 percent of patients who are in advanced stages of the disease.

The participants took an oral medication twice daily. Most saw benefits from the drug over a two to 18-month period, and several others continue to benefit from it.

Researchers say it's too early to tell if the treatment will improve overall survival rates, though a shrinking tumor would likely offer a better quality of life for patients.

Removal of early-stage skin cancer usually offers a good prognosis, but once the tumor spreads, chances of survival are much bleaker.

The senior study author from Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Research Center said the results were remarkable, and a phase III trial is already under way.