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Treatment Options for Advanced Melanoma After Anti-PD-1 Therapy

  • Melanoma (RJ Sullivan, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Oncology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

While anti-PD-1 antibodies have been a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma, a substantial proportion of patients are still refractory to or progress after treatment with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Here, we review the post anti-PD-1 therapy alternatives that may be possible for patients with unresectable or metastatic stage 3 or 4 melanoma.

Recent Findings

Currently available treatment options include BRAF-targeted and MEK inhibitor–targeted therapies for those with BRAFV600 mutant melanoma, while for patients with BRAF-WT melanoma or those who have already received prior BRAF-targeted therapy, options include anti-CTLA-4 therapy, alone or in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy, or for selected patients, clinical trials that may incorporate other immune checkpoint inhibitors or co-stimulatory agonists, oncolytic virotherapies, adoptive cellular therapies, or other novel agents.

Summary

Participation in clinical trials is critical in order to delineate what more effective treatment options are and which group of patients after receiving prior anti-PD-1 therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cutaneous Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA

    Nalan Akgul Babacan & Zeynep Eroglu

  2. Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine, Tampa, USA

    Zeynep Eroglu

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  1. Nalan Akgul Babacan
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Correspondence to Zeynep Eroglu.

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Nalan Akgul Babacan declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Zeynep Eroglu has received research funding from Novartis and has received compensation from Regeneron and ArrayBioPharma for participation on advisory boards.

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Babacan, N.A., Eroglu, Z. Treatment Options for Advanced Melanoma After Anti-PD-1 Therapy. Curr Oncol Rep 22, 38 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-020-0894-z

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