Best Practices Established for Melanoma Neoadjuvant Therapy

Source: Oncology Times, November 2019

The past 5 years have seen an explosion of research and treatment advances for melanoma patients, particularly for those with stage IV. A multitude of clinical trials have provided new targeted therapies and immunotherapies, bringing hope to patients with resected stage III disease as well. However, patients with stage III melanoma, representing approximately 10-20 percent of all melanoma patients, still face a 70 percent risk of relapse when treated with standard surgery and adjuvant therapy (CA Cancer J Clin 2017; doi: 10.3322/caac.21409).

To help address these patients’ needs, researchers have been exploring the potential benefits of using many different new drugs for neoadjuvant therapy. So far, the data is promising—but with disparate trial designs, study cohorts and treatment regimens, it’s hard to really know the true benefits this treatment approach may provide.

Recently, researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston gathered experts in the field to create the International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium (INMC), which then set out to develop recommendations to improve research strategies for neoadjuvant therapy.