[What's new in skin cancers?]

Th Jouary1

  • 1Service d'oncologie médicale, hôpital François-Mitterrand, 4, boulevard Hauterive, 64000 Pau, France; Service de dermatologie, hôpital Saint-André, 1, rue Jean-Burguet, 33075 Bordeaux, France.

Insights

Metastatic melanoma treatments in 2014 saw progress with BRAF/MEK inhibitors and immunotherapies like anti-PD1. However, challenges remain in understanding resistance and advancing early-stage melanoma care.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Dermatology
  • Medical Research

Context:

  • Metastatic melanoma remains a significant challenge in oncology.
  • Advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies are rapidly evolving.
  • Clinical practice lags behind fundamental research in melanoma treatment.

Purpose:

  • To review significant advancements in melanoma oncology in 2014.
  • To highlight progress in metastatic and localized melanoma treatment.
  • To identify areas lacking innovation in melanoma detection and adjuvant therapy.

Summary:

  • Combination therapies with BRAF and MEK inhibitors improved progression-free survival in metastatic melanoma.
  • Second-generation immunotherapies (anti-PD1, PD-L1) demonstrated efficacy in larger patient groups.
  • The sentinel lymph node procedure's role in localized melanoma remains under discussion, with no major innovations in adjuvant treatment post-surgery.

Impact:

  • Understanding resistance mechanisms to MAPKinase pathway inhibitors is crucial.
  • Further research is needed for early-stage melanoma detection and treatment.
  • Future developments in targeted therapies and immunotherapies will likely address resistance, but a revolution in early-stage melanoma is anticipated.

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