Neoadjuvant Therapy for Melanoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Immune checkpoint blockade and BRAF inhibitors are standard for metastatic melanoma.
• Growing interest exists in using these therapies before surgery (neoadjuvant setting).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of neoadjuvant therapy for metastatic melanoma.
• To assess the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade and BRAF-targeted agents.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of published clinical trials evaluating neoadjuvant therapies for melanoma.
• Review of pathologic response rates and safety data from these trials.

Main Results:

• Numerous smaller clinical trials have reported promising results.
• High pathologic response rates and acceptable safety profiles have been observed.

Conclusions:

• Neoadjuvant therapy with immune checkpoint blockade and BRAF inhibitors demonstrates potential in resectable metastatic melanoma.
• Larger randomized trials are necessary to establish the role of neoadjuvant therapy in standard care.