For treatment of melanoma, accumulated research has allowed the transition of the most effective treatments into earlier stages of disease management. To this end, immunotherapy has become approved for high-risk stage II and resected stage III melanoma, and is currently being evaluated in the neoadjuvant setting. BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy is also approved in the adjuvant setting and is being evaluated in neoadjuvant trials. In stage IV disease, the optimal sequencing of these 2 main approaches is with immunotherapy initiated first. Recently, the LAG-3 antibody relatlimab, in combination with nivolumab, has produced impressive responses with low toxicity and has become a new standard of care compared with anti–PD-1 monotherapy. As heterogeneity within disease stages has become better appreciated, staging and risk classification have been refined.
Disclosures: Dr. Boland has disclosed receiving grant/research support from InterVenn Biosciences, Olink Proteomics, Palleon Pharmaceuticals, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; and serving as a scientific advisor for Ankyra Therapeutics, InterVenn Biosciences, Iovance Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., Nektar Therapeutics, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.