title: Advances in targeted therapy for unresectable melanoma: new drugs and combinations.
abstract: Melanoma is the most deadly cutaneous cancer primarily derived from melanocytes with a poor prognosis in advanced stage. The therapy regimen for early stage melanoma patients is surgical resection with adjuvant IFN-alpha-2b therapy. For metastatic lesions, standard chemotherapy such as dacarbazine (DTIC) has not achieved a satisfying response rate. Therefore, new approaches to manage this deadly disease are highly expected to enhance the cure rate and to extend clinical benefits to patients with unresectable melanoma. Fortunately, the targeted therapeutic drugs and immunotherapy such as vemurafenib, dabrafenib, ipilimumab, and trametinib have shown their special advantage in the treatment of advanced melanoma. This article is to overview the advances in targeted therapy for unresectable melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China; National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China.
authors.forename: Mengze
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China.
authors.forename: Fengju
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 30060, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China; National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China.
authors.forename: Guowen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China; National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China.
authors.forename: Kexin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Tianjin 30060, PR China; National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute &Hospital, Tianjin 300060, PR China. Electronic address: yangjilong@tjmuch.com.
authors.forename: Jilong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000906:Antibodies; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors
keywords: BRAF; CTLA-4; MEK; PD-1/L1; PI3K/Akt/mTOR; c-KIT