Research progress in and new treatment strategies for melanoma in China / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Although the incidence of melanoma is increasing rapidly, its proportion is relatively low among all the malignant tumors in China, and oncologists commonly pay little attention. The first consultation place for melanoma patients is mainly the department of dermatology. Dermatologists have unique advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma since they can comprehensively integrate clinical diagnosis, pathological diagnosis, surgical treatment and drug treatment. In recent years, Chinese scholars have made great progress in melanoma research, such as regulation of cell death, epigenetic modification, resistance to targeted drugs, tumor microenvironment and tumor immune regulation. Interferon α-1b, a unique new drug in China, not only can be used for adjuvant treatment of high-risk stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ melanoma, but also shows good efficacy in the treatment of stage Ⅳ melanoma, and adverse reactions to it are far less than those to interferon α-2b. Unlike the White population, the common subtypes of melanoma are acral and mucosal melanomas in the Asian population. The combination of interferon α-1b with programmed death receptor-ligand 1 inhibitor, targeted drugs or angiogenesis inhibitors is bringing hope for patients with stage IV melanoma.