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The Evolution of Adjuvant Therapy for Melanoma

  • Melanoma (RJ Sullivan, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Oncology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The past decade has been a time of remarkable advancement in the field of adjuvant therapy for patients with resected high-risk melanoma. Here, we review the data for adjuvant melanoma and raise questions about the best choice of therapy for an individual patient.

Recent Findings

There have been several new adjuvant approvals including immunotherapy and targeted therapy approaches. Nivolumab is approved for patients with nodal involvement or metastatic disease after resection. Pembrolizumab is approved for patients with nodal involvement after resection. In addition, the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib is approved in patients’ nodal involvement after resection whose tumors harbor BRAFV600E/K mutations.

Summary

New therapeutic opportunities have provided promising options for patients with high-risk disease. These advances have significantly challenged the previous standard-of-care for this population of patients. Data is still forthcoming regarding durability of benefit and safety of these new treatments.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, 230 W. Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, USA

    Justine V. Cohen

  2. Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    Elizabeth I. Buchbinder

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  1. Justine V. Cohen
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Correspondence to Justine V. Cohen.

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Conflict of Interest

Justine V. Cohen has received compensation from Sanofi-Genzyme and Bristol-Myers Squibb for service as a consultant. Elizabeth I. Buchbinder has received compensation from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Trieza Therapeutics, and Novartis for service as a consultant.

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Cohen, J.V., Buchbinder, E.I. The Evolution of Adjuvant Therapy for Melanoma. Curr Oncol Rep 21, 106 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-019-0858-3

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