[Systemic therapy of metastatic melanoma]

Therapy of metastatic melanoma still remains difficult. All therapeutic strategies have to consider the individual patient's condition and number and localisation of the metastases. Solitary metastases in lung, CNS, soft tissues and lymph nodes have to be removed by surgery. Multiple metastases are treated with a systemic chemoimmunotherpy. Promising approaches use interleukin-2, interferons, DTIC, temozolamide, vindesine and cisplatin. Radiotherapy is the treatment of first choice for bone and CNS metastases. These therapeutic strategies have improved the prognosis of metastatic melanoma. Additional multi-center trials and experimental approaches will help to reach the goal of a curative systemic therapy for metastatic melanoma.