Metastatic melanoma: how research can modify the course of a disease

Excerpt

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and, once a rare disease, its global incidence is steadily increasing, especially in white, non-Hispanic men, with about 200,000 new cases and 65,000 melanoma-associated deaths every year worldwide (Fig. 1). Surgical treatment of early diagnosed melanoma is highly successful, but prognosis can be poor in case of metastatic disease. The last two decades have brought significant progress in the understanding of the molecular biology and immunology of melanoma, leading to rapid advances in therapeutic strategies for patients with melanoma (Fig. 2). About 50% of melanomas harbor an activating mutation in BRAF, which renders the MAP-kinase pathway constitutively active. This discovery led to the development of highly effective kinase inhibitors that specifically target this driver mutation. In the immunotherapy paradigm, CTLA-4 and PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors have achieved long-term survival in a subset of patients. In this thematic tissue, we bring to the attention of our readers a collection of reviews on recent advances in melanoma research and treatment, written by experts in the field. …