[Understanding current therapies in metastatic melanoma]

Rev Med Chil. 2016 Nov;144(11):1448-1458. doi: 10.4067/S0034-98872016001100011.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Cutaneous melanoma is a highly aggressive tumor developing from melanocytes, its incidence is increasing, and prognosis in advanced stages is daunting. New therapies have been approved during the recent years with unprecedented results, including inhibitors of MAPK/ERK pathway and immune checkpoint blockade (anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) as ipilimumab, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1) as pembrolizumab and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 ligand (PD-L1), among many others). The aim of this paper is to review currently available metastatic melanoma therapies focusing mainly on new therapies that have demonstrated effectiveness, after several decades of little progress in the treatment of this disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Humans
  • Melanoma / drug therapy*
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / secondary*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / genetics
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases