Mutationally activated kinases define a clinically validated class of targets for cancer drug therapy1. However, the efficacy of kinase inhibitors in patients whose tumours harbour such alleles is invariably limited by innate or acquired drug resistance2,3. The identification of resistance mechanisms has revealed a recurrent theme—the engagement of survival signals redundant to those transduced by the targeted kinase4. Cancer cells typically express multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that mediate signals that converge on common critical downstream cell-survival effectors—most notably, phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)5. Consequently, an increase in RTK-ligand levels, through autocrine tumour-cell production, paracrine contribution from tumour stroma6 or systemic production, could confer resistance to inhibitors of an oncogenic kinase with a similar signalling output. Here, using a panel of kinase-‘addicted’ human cancer cell lines, we found that most cells can be rescued from drug sensitivity by simply exposing them to one or more RTK ligands. Among the findings with clinical implications was the observation that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) confers resistance to the BRAF inhibitor PLX4032 (vemurafenib) in BRAF-mutant melanoma cells. These observations highlight the extensive redundancy of RTK-transduced signalling in cancer cells and the potentially broad role of widely expressed RTK ligands in innate and acquired resistance to drugs targeting oncogenic kinases.

OverviewIn 2016, an estimated 76,380 patients will be diagnosed with and approximately 10,130 patients will die of melanoma in the United States.1 However, these figures for new cases may represent a substantial underestimate, as many superficial and in situ melanomas treated in the outpatient setting are not reported. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase dramatically, at an overall rate of 33% for men and 23% women from 2002 to 2006.2 Melanoma is increasing in men more rapidly than any other malignancy, and in women more rapidly than any other malignancy except lung cancer. AbstractThis selection from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Melanoma focuses on adjuvant therapy and treatment of in-transit disease, because substantial changes were made to the recommendations for the 2016 update. Depending on the stage of the disease, options for adjuvant therapy now include biochemotherapy and highdose ipilimumab. Treatment options for in-transit disease now include intralesional injection with talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), a new immunotherapy. These additions prompted reassessment of the data supporting older recommended treatment options for adjuvant therapy and in-transit disease, resulting in extensive revisions to the supporting discussion sections. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2016;14(4):450-473 NCCN Categories of Evidence and ConsensusCategory 1: Based upon high-level evidence, there is uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate. Category 2A: Based upon lower-level evidence, there is uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate. Category 2B: Based upon lower-level evidence, there is NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate. Category 3: Based upon any level of evidence, there is major NCCN disagreement that the intervention is appropriate.All recommendations are category 2A unless otherwise noted.Clinical trials: NCCN believes that the best management for any cancer patient is in a clinical trial. Participation in clinical trials is especially encouraged. Please NoteThe NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines ® ) are a statement of consensus of the authors regarding their views of currently accepted approaches to treatment. Any clinician seeking to apply or consult the NCCN Guidelines ® is expected to use independent medical judgment in the context of individual clinical circumstances to determine any patient's care or treatment. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network ® (NCCN ® ) makes no representation or warranties of any kind regarding their content, use, or application and disclaims any responsibility for their applications or use in any way. The full NCCN Guidelines for Melanoma are not printed in this issue of JNCCN but can be accessed online at NCCN.org.© National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2016, All rights reserved. The NCCN Guidelines and the illustrations herein may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of NCCN. Disclosures for the NCCN Melanoma ...

Malignant Melanoma remains one of the most deadly human cancers with no effective cures for metastatic disease. The poor efficacy of current therapy in advanced melanoma highlights the need for better understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to the disease. Recent work has shown that epigenetic changes, including aberrant DNA methylation, lead to alterations in gene expression and are as important in the development of malignant melanoma as the specific and well characterized genetic events. Reversion of these methylation patterns could thus lead to a more targeted therapy and are currently under clinical investigation. The purpose of this review is to compile recent information on aberrant DNA methylation of melanoma, to highlight key genes and molecular pathways in melanoma development that have found to be epigenetically altered and to provide insight as of how DNA methylation might serve as targeted treatment option as well as a molecular and prognostic marker in malignant melanoma.

Summary:Although allogeneic transplantation can be curative for patients with sickle cell disease, the toxicity of conditioning regimens has precluded its use in adults with significant end-organ damage. Newer conditioning regimens have been developed that are less toxic and that may broaden the applicability of allogeneic transplantation in this disorder. We report two adults with end-stage sickle cell disease, who underwent allogeneic transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor after conditioning with fludarabine/melphalan and ATG. Both patients had been extensively transfused and one had multiple RBC antibodies. One of the patients also had end-stage renal disease, and was dialysis dependent. Engraftment occurred promptly in both patients. Both achieved 100% donor chimerism and both were free of pain crises after transplant. The first patient died of a respiratory failure related to chronic graft-versushost disease (GVHD) on day 335 after transplantation. The second patient developed severe gastro-intestinal GVHD and TTP and died on day 147 after transplantation. Conditioning with fludarabine/melphalan and ATG followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation resulted in prompt and reliable engraftment in adults with end-stage sickle cell disease. The incidence of severe GVHD was unacceptably high and may be related to the ethnicity of the patients or to the inflammatory state associated with pre-existing sickle cell disease. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 26, 445-449.