Treatment of advanced melanoma

Excerpt

Over the past decade the treatment of advanced melanoma has been revolutionized by the approval of new therapeutic agents, including BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) and MEK (Mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitors, cytotoxic T‑lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell-death protein 1 (PD-1) blocking antibodies, as well as a modified oncolytic herpes virus that is given intratumourally. These changes in the treatment landscape have dramatically improved objective response rates, progression-free survival and overall survival for patients. Specifically, the overall survival of patients with metastatic melanoma has improved from 9 months before 2011 to ongoing long-term tumour control in a subset of patients. …