Clinical and experimental treatment of advanced melanoma with a focus on immunotherapy

Melanoma is currently the fifth most common cancer in the UK, and its incidence is rising. Although surgery is curative for many early-stage tumours, advanced disease which is inoperable has historically also been considered incurable. Recent and rapid advances in cancer immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, have now revolutionised the management of advanced melanoma with many patients likely being cured. Here we review the immunobiology of melanoma, the growing list of standard-of-care immunotherapies and the considerations around which treatment regimen to use. We also review evidence from recent clinical trials of promising novel immunotherapies which will hopefully help patients who do not benefit from current treatments.