Immune checkpoint inhibitor-based therapy for advanced acral and mucosal melanoma.

Abstract

Acral melanoma (AM) and mucosal melanomas (MM) are rare clinical subtypes of melanoma. AM and MM are etiologically, biologically, and molecularly distinct from cutaneous melanoma (CM). Despite the recent development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of advanced CMs, the true therapeutic efficacy of ICIs for these rare subtypes remains unclear. Since these subtypes are rare, especially in the Caucasian population, their biological features and corresponding novel therapies are underexplored than those of CM. Even in the larger phase III clinical trials for ICIs, the sample size of patients with AM and MM is limited. Consequently, establishment of standard of care for advanced AM and MM has been challenging. This review covers current update and overview on clinical efficacy of ICIs and ICI-based therapy for advanced AM and MM, based mainly on the reported clinical trials, prospective observational studies, and retrospective studies, to provide a better understanding of the current landscape of this field. In addition, we discuss the future direction of treatment for those rare clinical subtypes, focusing on issues relevant to dermatology and medical oncology.