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Evolving Treatment Approaches to Mucosal Melanoma

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

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review mainly focuses on the unique features and the development of available therapeutic options for mucosal melanoma in different treatment settings, i.e., neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and palliative.

Recent Findings

Mucosal melanoma is distinct from cutaneous melanoma in epidemiology, clinical features, and molecular landscape, characterized by more aggressive biological behavior, lower mutational burden, more chromosomal structure variants, unique driver mutation profile, and distinct tumor microenvironment. Systemic therapy is generally less effective to mucosal melanoma than its cutaneous counterpart. Therapeutic landscape for mucosal melanoma has evolved substantially in recent years: with new targeted therapy options as well as combination therapies built on the backbone of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies available (esp. anti-angiogenic agent and PD-1/PD-L1 combination), which, based on early phase trial data, seem to be promising.

Summary

Mucosal melanoma is unique and distinct from cutaneous subtype. Unraveling the unique features of mucosal melanoma is a key to improve clinical outcomes.

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (81,972,562) to JG. National Natural Science Foundation of China (81,972,566) to LS. Beijing Natural Science Foundation (7,214,217) and Beijing Hospitals Authority Youth Programme (QMS20211101) to XB.

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Author notes

  1. Shuai Zhang and Jiaran Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education, Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China

    Shuai Zhang, Jiaran Zhang, Jun Guo, Lu Si & Xue Bai

Authors
  1. Shuai Zhang
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  2. Jiaran Zhang
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  3. Jun Guo
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  4. Lu Si
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  5. Xue Bai
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Contributions

Shuai Zhang and Jiaran Zhang conducted the literature review. Jun Guo, Xue Bai, and Lu Si contributed to the conception of the review; Shuai Zhang, Jiaran Zhang, and Xue Bai wrote the first edition of the manuscript. Shuai Zhang, Jiaran Zhang, Jun Guo, Xue Bai, and Lu Si edited and approved the final draft. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. Shuai Zhang and Jiaran Zhang contributed equally.

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Correspondence to Lu Si or Xue Bai.

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All authors have made a substantial contribution to the material submitted for publication and have read and approved the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

Dr. Jun Guo serves as consultant or is on advisory boards for MSD, Roche, Pfizer, Bayer, Novartis, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, Shanghai Junshi Biosciences, and Oriengene. Dr. Xue Bai has received a merit award supported by BMS. Dr. Lu Si has received speakers’ honoraria from MSD, Roche, Novartis, Shanghai Junshi Biosciences, and Oriengene.

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Zhang, S., Zhang, J., Guo, J. et al. Evolving Treatment Approaches to Mucosal Melanoma. Curr Oncol Rep 24, 1261–1271 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-022-01225-z

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