An overview of melanoma-specific drugs

An overview of melanoma-specific drugs

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops from the cells (melanocytes) that control the pigment of the skin. It is caused by problems in the melanocytes, but the exact cause is unknown. Some environmental and genetic factors play a role, such as exposure to UV rays, skin type, family history, and immune system weakness. Melanoma can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation therapy.

Some melanomas have specific gene changes (mutations) that make them different from normal cells. For example, about half of all melanomas have changes in the BRAF gene, which makes an altered BRAF protein that helps them grow. Some drugs target this protein and related proteins, such as the MEK proteins. These drugs are called targeted therapy drugs, and they work differently from standard chemotherapy drugs. Targeted therapy drugs can shrink or slow the growth of tumors in some people whose melanoma has spread or can’t be removed completely. They can also lower the risk of the cancer coming back after surgery in some cases².

Some examples of targeted therapy drugs for melanoma are:

• BRAF inhibitors: Vemurafenib (Zelboraf), dabrafenib (Tafinlar), and encorafenib (Braftovi) are drugs that attack the BRAF protein directly².
• MEK inhibitors: Trametinib (Mekinist), cobimetinib (Cotellic), and binimetinib (Mektovi) are drugs that block the MEK proteins, which work together with the BRAF gene².

These drugs are taken as pills or capsules, once or twice a day. They have different side effects, such as skin problems, fever, joint pain, fatigue, nausea, heart rhythm problems, liver problems, kidney failure, bleeding, and increased blood sugar levels. Some people treated with these drugs may also develop new squamous cell skin cancers, which are usually less serious than melanoma and can be removed by surgery².

If you have melanoma that has spread beyond the skin, a biopsy sample of it will likely be tested to see if the cancer cells have a BRAF mutation. If they do, you may benefit from targeted therapy drugs that target the BRAF or MEK proteins. However, these drugs are not likely to work on melanomas that have a normal BRAF gene². Your doctor will discuss with you the best treatment options for your specific case.