Turkish Abstract Full Text PDF Similar Articles Mail to Author

¹Konya Meram Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Tıbbi Onkoloji Kliniği, Konya
²Gazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Tıbbi Onkoloji Bilim Dalı, Ankara 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