Neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced melanoma: new strategies with targeted therapies

Adjuvant treatment for stage III melanoma in the era of targeted medicine and immunotherapy

The accelerated development in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, both in molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy, is already starting to impact on adjuvant therapy in stage III melanoma. Following the approval of ipilimumab for adjuvant therapy in melanoma, clinical trials assessing other checkpoint modulators and MAPK pathway inhibitors as adjuvant treatments for melanoma are currently ongoing. As results from these trials mature in the next few years, a change in the landscape of adjuvant treatment for melanoma is expected, resulting in new challenges in treatment decisions such as optimizing patients selection through predictive and prognostic biomarkers, and management of treatment related adverse events, in particular immune related toxicities.

Liver resection and ablation for metastatic melanoma: A single center experience

BACKGROUND

The median survival for patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma is usually limited to approximately 1 year. In the case of liver metastasis, resection and ablation can achieve long-term survival. This study aimed to describe the outcomes after liver resection or ablation for metastatic melanoma to the liver and identify preoperative prognostic factors.

METHODS

Forty eight patients who underwent liver resection (n = 32) or percutaneous ablation (n = 16) were identified from the 1,523 patients with melanoma liver metastases evaluated between January1993 and January 2013.

RESULTS

Median OS was 25.9 months. Median OS was not different after ablation (18 months) and resection (26 months; P > 0.2). Patients in the ablation group more often presented with extrahepatic disease (EHD) (P = 0.008) and received more frequently systemic therapy before ablation (P = 0.005). Patients without EHD tended to have longer OS (26.5 vs. 12 months; P = 0.076) and PFS (13 vs. 5 months; P = 0.11) in the whole cohort. EHD was significantly associated with a worse OS in the resection group (P = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

Liver resection is associated to prolonged survival over 24 months and should be considered only in selected patients with metastatic disease confined to the liver. In patients not candidate for surgery, tumor ablation can be considered.