Genetic Ancestry and Immunotherapy Response in High-Risk Melanoma
Source: Targeted Oncology, April 2025
Ahmad Tarhini, MD, PhD, professor and senior member in cutaneous oncology and immunology at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses inherited genetic variations and genetic ancestry, particularly for patients with high-risk melanoma. With a longstanding focus on improving immunotherapy outcomes and mitigating treatment-related toxicities, Tarhini and his team aim to bridge critical knowledge gaps in precision oncology through this work.
At the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, Tarhini will be presenting on this research. According to Tarhini, he and his team were particularly interested in studying inherited genetic variations and ancestry among patients with melanoma to better understand both the likelihood of response to immunotherapy and risk of developing immune-mediated adverse events.
This area of research is becoming increasingly relevant, as checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapeutic approaches continue to reshape the standard of care for many patients with advanced or high-risk disease.