Xing Yan, Wu Helena T, Rajurkar Swapnil, Tan Tingting, Hsu Vanessa
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
Data Science Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Cancer Treat Res. 2025;129:173-186. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-97242-3_9.
This chapter explores systemic treatment strategies for cutaneous melanoma across neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and Stage IV settings. Neoadjuvant therapy aims to reduce tumor burden pre-surgery, primarily using immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab plus ipilimumab, showing promising response rates. Adjuvant therapy, post-resection, leverages immunotherapy (e.g., nivolumab) and targeted therapies (e.g., dabrafenib plus trametinib) to prevent recurrence in high-risk patients, improving relapse-free survival. Stage IV systemic treatment addresses metastatic disease, employing immunotherapy (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) and targeted mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitors (dabrafenib plus trametinib) for BRAF-mutant cases, while BRAF wild-type patients benefit from nivolumab-relatlimab or combination therapies. Tables summarize key regimens, efficacy, and toxicities. Content aligns with clinical guidelines, with updates on emerging therapies like tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). These approaches enhance survival and treatment-free intervals, tailored to mutation status and disease stage.