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Review
. 2020 Jul 17;12(7):1941.
doi: 10.3390/cancers12071941.

"To Anticipate": Neoadjuvant Therapy in Melanoma with a Focus on Predictive Biomarkers

Mattia Garutti  1 , Silvia Buriolla  1   2 , Elisa Bertoli  1   2 , Maria Grazia Vitale  2 , Ernesto Rossi  3 , Giovanni Schinzari  3   4 , Alessandro Marco Minisini  2   5 , Fabio Puglisi  1   2
Affiliations
Review

"To Anticipate": Neoadjuvant Therapy in Melanoma with a Focus on Predictive Biomarkers

Mattia Garutti et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Despite surgical resection and adjuvant therapies, stage III melanomas still have a substantial risk of relapse. Neoadjuvant therapy is an emerging strategy that might offer superior efficacy compared to adjuvant therapy. Moreover, neoadjuvant therapy has some virtual advantages: it might allow for less demolitive surgery, permit the in vivo evaluation of drug efficacy, help tailor adjuvant treatments, and play a crucial role in innovative translational research. Herein, we review the available literature to explore the scientific background behind the neoadjuvant approach. We also discuss published clinical trials with a focus on predictive biomarkers and ongoing studies. Finally, we outline a possible framework for future neoadjuvant clinical trial development based on the International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium guidelines.

Keywords: BRAF; MEK; adjuvant; immunotherapy; melanoma; neoadjuvant.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this work. Alessandro Marco Minisini, reports an advisory role for Novartis, MSD, Pierre Fabre. Fabio Puglisi, reports grants from AstraZeneca, grants, personal fees and others from Roche, personal fees and others from Eli Lilly, personal fees from Amgen, personal fees from Ipsen, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Takeda, grants and others from Eisai, others from Novartis, and others from Pfizer, outside the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
General outline and biospecimen collection for a neoadjuvant trial for melanoma. Adapted from the International Melanoma Neoadjuvant Consortium [65].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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