Melanoma Updates for the Practicing Surgeon: A Review

There have been a series of practice-changing clinical trials revolutionizing the treatment of particularly advanced stage melanomas.

Taking advantage of the immunogenic nature of melanoma, immunotherapy and targeted treatments have been approved both for the advanced stages but also for adjuvant treatment in earlier stages. The toxicity profile is favorable, with 10–20% grade 3–4 toxicity with single agent immunotherapy. Despite these significant advances, addressing treatment failures remains challenging and several novel drug combinations as well as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes have recently been approved.

Intimate knowledge of these landmark trials is essential not only to achieve the best possible outcomes in the treatment of patients but also to empower the surgical community to advance the field even further.