Patients with early-stage malignant melanoma can be cured
with surgical resection with or without adjuvant therapy. Prognosis
is still poor in the patients with metastatic melanoma.
Treatment options are limited. Lymph node involvement and
Breslow tumor thickness are the most important prognostic
factors. There have been many trials in the adjuvant setting of
malignant melanoma due to the poor prognosis of metastatic
disease. High-risk node-negative patients and node-positive
patients are candidates for systemic adjuvant therapy following
surgery. Different treatment modalities have been widely investigated
for the adjuvant treatment in high-risk melanoma patients.
Stage III (locoregional metastasis) and stage II (Breslow
thickness >1.5 mm) patients are included in adjuvant melanoma
trials. The rationale for adjuvant therapy is summarized in this
review, and the roles of interferon, interleukin (high-intermediate-
low dose), chemotherapy, vaccines, colony stimulating factors,
and combination therapies (biochemotherapy, combined
immunotherapy, immunochemotherapy) are discussed.
Keywords: Adjuvant; immunologic; immunotherapy; melanoma
