The primary treatment for melanoma is surgical removal of the
tumor. Although requiring further clinical trials, in some
cases, immunotherapy or targeted therapy may be used in the
treatment of advanced stages of melanoma. Many combination
therapies are currently in trials. Advanced melanoma patients
should be considered for enrollment in a trial for their own
benefit as well as for the advancement of melanoma treatment.
Thus far, no single investigative approach stands out as highly
effective; however, they all hold promise with rare patients
showing durable responses. Most treatment protocols are
evaluating combinations of adjuvant therapies, hoping to achieve
a synergistic effect. Ongoing research into the biology of
melanoma continues to suggest new drug targets that will block
tumor progression or enhance host response. Immunotherapy
involves using medications or substances made by the body to
increase or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer.
It is also called biological response modifier (