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Review
. 2017 Apr;19(4):13.
doi: 10.1007/s11940-017-0449-2.

Targeted Therapies for Melanoma Brain Metastases

Anna S Berghoff  1 , Matthias Preusser  2
Affiliations
Review

Targeted Therapies for Melanoma Brain Metastases

Anna S Berghoff et al. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Brain metastases are a major clinical challenge occurring in up to 60% of patients suffering from metastatic melanoma. They cause significant clinical symptoms and impair the overall survival prognosis. The introduction of targeted therapies including BRAF and MEK inhibitors as well as CTLA-4 and PD-1 axis targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically improved the treatment and prognosis of patients with extracranial metastatic melanoma. Although, similar response rates for extra- and intracranial metastases have been reported, only few data from brain metastasis specific trails are available so far. The following review will provide an overview on the currently available data on targeted therapies, remaining questions and the most important side effects in the special clinical situation of melanoma brain metastases.

Keywords: BRAF inhibitor; Brain metastases; Immune checkpoint inhibitor; Melanoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Anna Sophie Berghoff has received travel support from Roche and BMS, as well as honoraria from Roche.

Matthias Preusser has received research support from Böhringer-Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp & Dohme and Roche and honoraria for lectures, consultation or advisory board participation from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), CMC Contrast, GlaxoSmithKline, Mundipharma, Roche and Astra Zeneca.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

References

References and Recommended Reading

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