Few studies have investigated mucosal melanoma, a rare and aggressive subtype of melanoma. As a result, oncologists often base treatment choices on cutaneous melanoma data.
The use of nivolumab (Opdivo) was recently investigated in patients with mucosal melanoma based on a pooled analysis of 889 patients, 10% (86) of whom had mucosal melanoma.
Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC; Imlygic) was approved by the FDA in October 2015, for the local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in patients with recurrent melanoma after initial surgery, based on results from the phase III OPTiM study.1
Combining nivolumab (Opdivo) with radiation therapy may provide better disease control and prolong overall survival (OS) in patients with melanoma whose disease has metastasized to the brain, compared with standard current treatment, according to a recent retrospective analysis.
Researchers have developed a technique to visualize the origin of melanoma in zebrafish, throwing light on a genetic switch for cancer.
