New developments in the perioperative treatment of melanomas with locoregional advancement

Abstract

Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice for patients with melanomas. However, the prognoses of the patients with melanomas at the IIC–IV stage, even after a complete resection of the lesions, is very diverse and, to a great degree, connected with a high risk of disease recurrence. The positive results of the studies in this area have resulted in systemic adjuvant therapy becoming the standard for patients in this group. New methods of systemic treatment – both the mo­lecularly targeted treatment with BRAF and MEK inhibitors (dabrafenib with trametinib) and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) – are already registered in the United States and the European Union. Also the results of the studies concerning the use of preoperative systemic treatment in patients with loco-regionally advanced melanomas seem to be very promising.