Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Cancer research · Melanoma · BRAF · MAPK

Immunotherapy improves outcomes in metastatic melanoma and can be combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy to achieve greater efficacy, while immune‑related adverse events may limit its use.

Melanoma is one of the most immunologic malignancies based on its higher prevalence in immune‑compromised patients, the evidence of brisk lymphocytic infiltrates in both primary tumors and metastases, the documented recognition of melanoma antigens by tumor‑infiltrating T lymphocytes and, most importantly, evidence that melanoma responds to immunotherapy. The use of immunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic melanoma is a relatively late discovery for this malignancy. Recent studies have shown a significantly higher success rate with a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted molecular therapy. Immunotherapy is associated to a panel of dysimmune toxicities called immune‑related adverse events that can affect one or more organs and may limit its use. Future directions in the treatment of metastatic melanoma include immunotherapy with anti‑PD1 antibodies or targeted therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors.

In metastatic melanoma, the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies has markedly improved survival and quality of life, underscoring the critical role of the immune system in controlling tumor spread and highlighting new therapeutic avenues beyond conventional cytotoxic agents.

Evidence level: Megerősített klinikai bizonyíték. Több vagy erősebb humán vizsgálat támogatja.

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