Is there still a role for cytotoxic chemotherapy after targeted therapy and immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma? A case report and literature review. Issue 1 (13th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Simon, Aurélien; Kourie, Hampig Raphael; Kerger, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Cancer communications. Volume 36:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 5
• Publication Date: 2017-01-13
• Subjects: Metastatic melanoma -- Chemotherapy -- Immunotherapy -- Checkpoint inhibitors -- Vemurafenib -- ATM mutation -- Chemosensitivity; Cancer -- Periodicals; Neoplasms; Electronic journals; Periodical; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.994005
• DOI: 10.1186/s40880-017-0179-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2523-3548

Abstract

Abstract: Metastatic melanoma has long been considered to have a very poor prognosis and to be chemo‐resistant. However, a subgroup of patients with metastatic melanoma presents remarkable responses to chemotherapeutic agents, even in the absence of a response to modern targeted therapies and immunotherapies; accordingly, determining predictive biomarkers of the response to chemotherapies for metastatic melanoma remains a priority to guide treatment in these patients. We report a case study of a patient with B‐Raf proto‐oncogene serine/threonine kinase‐mutated metastatic melanoma harbouring many genetic mutations. The patient did not respond to prior targeted therapies or immunotherapies but experienced a dramatic objective radiological and clinical response to subsequent dacarbazine‐based chemotherapy. In the era of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for metastatic melanoma, cytotoxic chemotherapies may still represent an interesting therapeutic weapon in a well‐defined subgroup of patients presenting with specific genetic and molecular features.