Role of Surgery in Stage IV Melanoma

Stage IV melanoma has a 5-year survival rate of 6%, but considerable advances have been made in systemic therapies. Systemic immunotherapy has achieved durable responses in up to 40% of patients, with similar improvements with targeted therapies. This has reshaped the landscape for surgery in stage IV melanoma. Metastasectomy can be considered in patients on systemic immunotherapy or targeted therapy with responding, stable, or isolated progressing lesions, oligometastatic disease, or long disease-free intervals. Surgery plays a role in providing tumor tissue for preparation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for adoptive cell therapy. Surgical palliation plays a role in patients with symptomatic metastases.