Episode 96: Second Line Treatment of Melanoma

In this episode, Michael and Josh welcome a very special guest: Michael's Labrador Beans. Beans is a world-renowned expert in eating snacks, but unfortunately, had very little to offer on their topic today: the treatment of progressive or recurrent cutaneous melanoma with primary and secondary resistance to immunotherapy. So, unfortunately, the discussion was left to your regular hosts.

For approximately 50% of patients, this is fortunately not a question they need to worry about, as immunotherapy and BRAF/MEK inhibitors remain effective treatments. However, that still leaves half of all patients facing an uncertain future, as treatment beyond these two agents remains uncertain. Josh and Michael examine two studies that may shine a light in this dark corner of oncology: LEAP-004, a single-arm study of lenvatinib + pembrolizumab, and an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine examining the use of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a novel weapon against immunotherapy-resistant melanoma.