Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapies in Cutaneous Melanoma

Melanoma is the most common cause of skin cancer-related death in the United States. Cutaneous melanoma is most prevalent in the head and neck. The long-term prognosis has been poor and chemotherapy is not curative. Complete surgical resection with locally advanced disease can be challenging and melanoma is resistant to radiation. Advances made in immunotherapy and genomically targeted therapy have transformed the treatment of metastatic melanoma; as of 2021, the 5-year survival for metastatic melanoma is greater than 50%. Ongoing clinical studies are underway to integrate these life-saving therapies into the presurgical or postsurgical settings. This article reviews that effort.