S K I N C A N C E R F O U N D A T I O N J O U R N A L
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"HOPE" IS A TERM that has
been frequently used over the years for
patients with advanced melanoma, but
never before has it been as true. Un-
precedented progress has been made in
treatment, with new approaches such
as "targeted" therapies that block
specif c cancer-causing proteins and
"immunotherapies" that bolster the
immune system against melanoma.
These new strategies have led to tre-
We f nally have an arsenal of ever more ef ective treatments for advanced
melanoma. Now, how do we put them to best use to f nd a cure?
Jason J. Luke, MD F. Stephen Hodi, MD Patrick A. Ott, MD, PhD
Unstoppable
No More
Cancer-fi ghting T-cells
attack melanoma.
mendous optimism, with more patients
than ever achieving long-term survival.
These treatment approaches are a quan-
tum leap from just a decade ago, when
chemotherapies such as dacarbazine
were the mainstay of treatment.
However, these advancements have
also generated new questions. Possi-
bly the most pressing question of all
is how to select and combine these
therapies to greatest advantage.
A Wave of Approvals
I
n the past three years, after 13 years
with no approvals for melanoma,
the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis-
tration (FDA) approved three tar-
geted drugs and one targeted drug
combination. All of these medicines
were approved for advanced mela-
noma patients with a specif c mu-
tation (in a gene called BRAF) that
is found in approximately half of all
Health