Adjuvant treatment of high-risk melanoma

The approval of targeted therapies and immunotherapy for malignant melanoma marked the beginning of a new era. The treatment options broadened not only for patients with distant metastasis but also for locally advanced melanomas, and the clinical benefit of the treatment was enhanced remarkably. Almost 3 years ago, adjuvant treatment with the protein kinase inhibitors dabrafenib plus trametinib as well as with the checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab was approved for melanoma patients with lymph node metastases. Recurrence-free survival has significantly improved for patients treated according to these approaches. Nevertheless, all treatment options come with the risk of potential serious adverse events. Therefore, adjuvant treatment should be considered only after a benefit–risk assessment together with the patients. Further great potential may originate from neoadjuvant treatments, which are currently being tested in clinical trials. © 2021, Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.