Current immunotherapeutic strategies in malignant melanoma

The basis of immunotherapy for melanoma is the existence of melanoma-associated antigens that can be targeted by the immune system. Identification of many of these antigens has enabled investigators to develop a wide array of immunotherapy strategies for the treatment of melanoma. Although several of these strategies have been shown to induce antitumor immune responses in some patients, robust clinical responses have been observed less frequently. With exciting recent advancements in this field, however, there is promise of generating potent immunologic responses and translating them more consistently into durable clinical responses. This article reviews several current approaches to immunotherapy for melanoma and describes the key role that surgeons play in advancing this area of oncology.