Recent advances in molecular targeted therapy for unresectable and metastatic BRAF-mutated melanoma

Circulating tumor DNA to monitor treatment response in solid tumors and advance precision oncology

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a dynamic biomarker in cancer, as evidenced by its increasing integration into clinical practice. Carrying tumor specific characteristics, ctDNA can be used to inform treatment selection, monitor response, and identify drug resistance. In this review, we provide a comprehensive, up-to-date summary of ctDNA in monitoring treatment response with a focus on lung, colorectal, and breast cancers, and discuss current challenges and future directions.

New therapies for unresectable or metastatic cutaneous eyelid and orbital melanoma

PURPOSE

Newer treatment options offer the promise of improved outcomes for metastatic and unresectable melanoma. This investigation was performed to review these modalities for cutaneous eyelid and orbital disease.

METHODS

A search for articles that were related to this subject was performed in the PubMed database, and the bibliographies of these manuscripts were reviewed to ensure capture of the appropriate literature. Data was abstracted and analyzed.

RESULTS

Historically, patients who suffer from melanoma of the ocular adnexa have fared poorly. Approaches that employ BRAF and mitogen-associated protein kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy, and novel cellular therapies improve outcomes and survival rates, although the side effect profiles of these agents are problematic. Most of the existing strategies have not explored ocular adnexal disease specifically, and treatment plans are generally adapted from the general cutaneous oncology literature.

CONCLUSIONS

Thanks to advances in our comprehension of the cellular biology of the disease, the management of unresectable and metastatic melanoma has evolved considerably over the past several years. Newer modalities will likely continue to improve survival and reduce adverse events.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Prognostic Factors and Adverse Events in the Treatment of Mucosal Melanoma in a Single Centre

Background: Despite the dramatic advances in the management of metastatic cutaneous melanoma, there remains no consensus-based, evidence-based strategy for the management of mucosal melanoma. The rare nature of the disease, its late clinical presentation, and distinct tumour biology all complicate efforts to optimise patient outcomes. Methods: To this end, we carried out a monocentric, retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with mucosal melanoma and treated between 2013 and 2021. Both tumour- and patient-specific characteristics were recorded, in addition to immune-related adverse events, in order to provide real-world data on disease progression, treatment efficacy, and the identification of prognostic markers. Results: A total of 20 patients were identified (14 females and 6 males), with a mean age at diagnosis of 65.9 years. The median follow-up was 3.9 years (95% CI 1.4-6.4 years) from the initiation of systemic therapy. The median OS in the entire cohort was 1.9 years (95% CI 0.5-3.3 years). Performance status, sex, body mass index, and the presence of brain metastases were not associated with poorer outcomes. However, serum lactate dehydrogenase levels (LDH) (p = 0.04) and an NRAS mutation were markers of a poor prognosis (p = 0.004). Conclusuion: There is a pressing need for real-world, prospective, and clinical trial data to inform the optimal management of mucosal melanoma, and data supporting the use of adjuvant and neo-adjuvant immunotherapy are currently lacking. However, an elevated LDH is a reliable, independent negative prognostic marker. Inter-disciplinary management remains essential in order to develop optimal treatment strategies.

Metastasis and MAPK Pathways

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. In many cases, the treatment of the disease is limited due to the metastasis of cells to distant locations of the body through the blood and lymphatic drainage. Most of the anticancer therapeutic options focus mainly on the inhibition of tumor cell growth or the induction of cell death, and do not consider the molecular basis of metastasis. The aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive review focusing on cancer metastasis and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (ERK/JNK/P38 signaling) as a crucial modulator of this process.