Dr. Tawbi on Future Research Efforts in Melanoma

Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD, associate professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses future research efforts in melanoma.

Although about 50% of patients with melanoma respond to available therapies, the rates of toxicities associated with single-agent and combination immunotherapy remain high, Tawbi says. As such, understanding how to better utilize immunotherapy in safer, more effective strategies is an important area of ongoing research.

Additionally, developing better treatments for the percentage of patients with melanoma who develop brain metastases is needed, Tawbi explains.

Lastly, further exploration of the role of adjuvant therapy in patients with melanoma could shed light on potentially curative opportunities that will minimize the number of patients who recur in the metastatic setting, concludes Tawbi.