Antiangiogenic and antiapoptotic treatment in advanced melanoma

Abstract

Melanoma is οne of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer. Currently available treatments have little overall impact on survival rates of patients with advanced melanoma. Advances in the understanding of the molecular pathways related to tumor growth and metastatic spread have resulted in the development of targeted therapies designed to act on specific genes or molecules of these pathways. Newly introduced agents that target the process of angiogenesis or inhibit antiapoptotic proteins have been investigated in melanoma. Although the use of these agents as monotherapy has yielded disappointing results, their impact on survival when combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy agents is currently under investigation. Larger phase III trials are needed to clarify the optimal clinical benefit that can be expected of this class of agents.