Treatment of locally metastatic melanoma: a novel approach

We report a case of an 83-year-old female with locally metastatic melanoma treated with imiquimod and tazarotene. The patient originally presented to our dermatology clinic with local metastases of malignant melanoma after having undergone multiple surgical procedures and adjuvant radiation therapy for disease recurrence. At this juncture, she refused further surgical management but was interested in topical therapy. A 4-week course of topical imiquimod therapy was initiated. As no clinical response was noted at the end of the treatment period, tazarotene cream was introduced. The patient experienced complete clinical clearance of the treated area after a 6-week course of combination imiquimod and tazarotene therapy. The rationale for using both medications will be discussed.