title: The current state of targeted therapy in melanoma: this time it's personal.
abstract: Treatment of metastatic melanoma has long been a challenge. Over the past 8 years significant advances have been made in understanding the genetic changes that drive melanoma development and progression. These studies have shown melanoma to be a heterogeneous group of tumors, driven by a diverse array of oncogenic mutations. There is now good evidence that activating mutations in the serine/threonine kinase BRAF and the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT constitute good therapeutic targets for restricted subgroups of melanoma. In this article, we discuss the genetics and etiology of cutaneous and noncutaneous melanoma and review some of the latest preclinical and clinical data on the new targeted therapy agents that are beginning to make an impact on the lives of melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: The Programs of Cutaneous Oncology and Molecular Oncology, The Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Keiran.Smalley@moffitt.org
authors.forename: Keiran S M
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Smalley
authors.forename: Grant A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: McArthur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D057285:Precision Medicine; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology