Vaccine Therapy of Melanoma: An Update

Abstract

Objective: To review recent epidemiologic studies of vaccination and melanoma risk as well as critically discuss the different melanoma vaccines under investigation in multicenter phase III melanoma vaccine trials.Data Sources: A retrospective review of the literature.Study Selection: Studies included those on the risk of melanoma and vaccination, historically relevant data, and ongoing or recently published phase III melanoma vaccine trials. The referenced study designs and methodologies varied.Data extraction and Synthesis: 3 reviewers extracted Data and the main results are presented in a quantitative descriptive manner.Conclusion: Vaccine therapy of melanoma remains promising, given the associated low toxicity. Epidemiologic studies suggest a role for vaccines against certain infectious diseases in melanoma prevention. While results of ongoing phase III melanoma vaccines trials may open new avenues for disease prevention, a better understanding of immune responses to melanoma vaccines will be necessary.

Scalp Melanoma- What Lies Beneath Is More Important: A Case Report

“…9 Recent studies have shown that interferon (IFN) alfa 2b can be given as adjuvant treatment for high risk melanomas and survival rates have improved. 10 Monoclonal antibodies are also considered as second line treatment in non-resectable metastatic melanoma 11 . Malignant Melanoma of Scalp is a aggressive disease and the treatment approach also should be on the same lines.…”

Cutaneous melanoma: an update on therapies

“…Among potential adjuvant therapies, there remains continued interest in vaccine treatments [34]. The occasional dramatic response of patients with metastatic melanoma to vaccination …”

“…These challenges include antigenic heterogeneity, decreased antigen presentation and tumor-induced immunosuppression. While the majority of melanoma vaccines are being evaluated in the metastatic setting, ideally, evaluation should take place of the prevention of recurrence rather than its treatment, since melanoma vaccines should theoretically work best when the tumor burden is lowest [34].…”

“…In the last decade, a number of allogeneic vaccines have been evaluated in Phase III trials (Melacine, Canvaxin, viral oncosylates and shed antigen vaccines) [34]. To date, none have shown a significant survival benefit.…”

“…Gangliosides are present on melanoma cells and some non-neoplastic cells. They have been found to be effective targets for active immunotherapy [34]. A purified GM2 vaccine was first developed and subsequently, to increase the humoral response to GM2 vaccination, investigators conjugated the GM2 to the xenogeneic protein keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and to a saponin-derived adjuvant QS-21 [35].…”