Targeted therapies in melanoma

In the last decade the incidence of melanoma has been rising. Despite this, survival remains substantially constant because early diagnosis of thin lesions has increased. By contrast, metastatic melanoma continues to have a poor prognosis and it still represents a challenge for oncologists. Response rates with single agent dacarbazine range from 10% to 25% with median survival of 8 months. The advent of new drugs with specific mechanisms of action could help to improve the poor results of traditional therapies. In this review, we focused on the novel agents that entered clinical trials in melanoma patients. We show the results of some clinical trials with target-oriented drugs in melanoma patients. Moreover pre-clinical data and rationale for use in melanoma was explained. Trials with protein-kinase inhibitors, anti-CTLA-4 agents, pro-apoptotic oligonucleotides and anti-angiogenic agents were reviewed. Combinations with chemotherapeutic agents, immunotherapy and vaccine therapy were also analyzed.