Morphological aspects and therapeutic options in melanoma: a narrative review of the past decade

Abstract

Melanoma is a malignant cancer of the skin, the incidence of which has been increasing year by year. This neoplasm has high aggressivity as well as the potential for invasion and metastases. Multiple factors related to the proliferation of this type of tumor have been identified, such as exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and specific genetic backgrounds. From a histological and cytological point of view, the most common cells that are found in melanoma are epithelioid or spindle cells. To confirm the diagnosis and the melanocytic origin of the tumor, specific and sensitive markers are used. Also, observation of the behavior of this cancer, including its proliferative properties, has led to the development of multiple therapies, each of which is characteristic of the pathological stage at the time of diagnosis. While surgery is the most important therapeutic and curative option in cases of melanoma in situ, chemotherapy has been the main treatment for advanced stages of melanoma for many years. However, recently, targeted therapy and immunotherapy have changed the approach to treatment. At present, multiple studies are attempting to obtain further data about the tumor microenvironment and investigating how targeting particular molecules can change the prognosis of patients

MMP1, MMP9, MMP11 and MMP13 in melanoma and its metastasis – key points in understanding the mechanisms and celerity of tumor dissemination

“…A chronic inflammatory microenvironment is recognized to be a key promoter of tumor development and metastasis, with essential roles for the MMPs as inflammatory modulators. MM cells and other tumor-associated cells can generate MMPs that cleave and degrade cytokines, chemokines, various inflammatory proteins, essential for a normal immune response; also, they can produce growth factors, and even cytokines, express antigens that inhibit the activation of T-cells or induce tolerance from dendritic cells, altering antigen presentation mechanisms [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Metabolic Imaging Biomarkers of Response to Signaling Inhibition Therapy in Melanoma

“…Most melanoma cells are radio-and chemo-resistant, mainly due to their melanin production [7]. Therefore, melanoma treatment could include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy [8][9][10]. Recently, a targeted therapy approach for metastatic melanoma focused on the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway.…”