Developments in targeted therapy in melanoma

The successful development of kinase inhibitors marked a milestone in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Combination treatment with a BRAF- and MEK-inhibitor is the current standard of care for inoperable stage IIIC/IV BRAF-mutated melanoma. Recent data demonstrate excellent long-term outcome, especially in patients with normal baseline LDH levels, and confirm that there is a subset of BRAF inhibitor-naive patients who experience durable responses without progression on combination treatment. In the future, adding a third compound based on individual genetic alterations might further improve the outcome of targeted therapy.