[Treatment of melanoma]

At the stage of primary tumour and lymph node extension, the treatment of melanoma is mainly surgical. Interferon alpha has obtained marketing authorisation to be used as adjuvant therapy at different doses in the treatment of these two stages of the disease and must therefore be discussed with the patient. At the metastatic stage, no real progress in chemotherapy has been noted for more than 20 years. Combined therapy with chemotherapy and cytokines (interferon alpha or interleukine 2) increases the percentage of response but without increasing the overall survival. THREE IMMUNOTHERAPY TECHNIQUES: Cellular immunotherapy represents the main hope of these future years in the treatment of melanoma, with the injection of in vitro expanded cytotoxic T cells, vaccination and dendritic cells. Although clinical results are starting to be published, cellular immunotherapy remains in the field of clinical research, within the framework of clinical trials.