The Emerging Melanoma Management: Historical Perspective to Future Directions

Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer that accounts for approximately 80% of skin cancer-associated mortality. Treatment strategies for melanoma have been rapidly evolving over the past two decades. Clinical outcomes for advanced melanoma patients have improved with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies, including combination therapies. In this review, we primarily focus on the evolution of novel therapies for advanced melanoma patients, existing and emerging melanoma biomarkers, and the most up-to-date treatment recommendations. Furthermore, we summarise ongoing studies, clinical trials, and emerging therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will walk you through how cutaneous melanoma treatment strategies have evolved over the past 50 years. We will provide background on how those strategies were developed, how they function, their pros and cons, and their performance in terms of clinical benefits. Lastly, we will provide insights into potential therapies and research areas. In summary, improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade remains the most promising approach for improving cutaneous melanoma management. However, strategies such as CAR-T/NK, PROTAC, or extracellular vesicle-based therapies are also worth further investigation.