During the European Cancer Congress, the melanoma sessions focused on practice changing trials. Recent developments and approvals in immunotherapy and targeted agents have significantly changed the landscape of melanoma therapy in the metastatic setting and provide great promise for adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment in high-risk locoregional disease. Perioperative (combined pre- and postoperative) strategies may be extremely beneficial for patients with bulky stage IIIC disease. The long-term results of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 18071 adjuvant trial ipilimumab versus placebo after complete resection of high-risk stage III melanoma, demonstrating improvement in overall survival, has established the reference bar for further trials with postoperative therapy.
Keywords: Adjuvant; Anti-PD-1; BRAF inhibitor; Ipilimumab; Melanoma; Neoadjuvant; Pembrolizumab.