title: Recent developments in the medical and surgical treatment of melanoma.
abstract: Increasing knowledge of the biology of melanoma has led to significant advances in drug development to fight this disease. Surgery is the primary treatment for localized disease and is an integral part of management in patients with more advanced disease. The last decade has become the era of targeted therapy in melanoma and has revolutionized the treatment of this disease. Since 2011, 4 new agents have been approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma: ipilimumab, vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib. Several new agents are currently in phase 3 trials with hopes of even more agents being approved for this once "untreatable" disease. How to integrate surgical options with more effective systemic therapies has become a new challenge for physicians. This review will provide an update on current surgical options, highlight the pathway to the development of the newly approved agents, and further discuss new treatments that are on the horizon.
authors.affiliation: Fellow in Hematology/Oncology, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
authors.forename: Vita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saranga-Perry
authors.forename: Chenwi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ambe
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zager
authors.forename: Ragini R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kudchadkar
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D008545:Melanoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009154:Mutation; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D000074324:Ipilimumab; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
keywords: immunotherapy; medical oncology; melanoma; molecularly targeted therapies; surgical oncology