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Emerging immune therapy of metastatic melanoma in the older patient: does age really matter?


Melanoma incidence is rapidly increasing in the geriatric population making it a major public health issue [1,2]. Healthcare cost analysis of cancer treatment suggests a significant economic burden related to metastatic melanoma treatment of the elderly patient [3]. Larger studies have shown that age is an independent negative prognostic factor of survival in older subjects diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma [4]. Melanoma is an immunogenic tumor and anti-melanoma immunity plays an important role in shaping its course as well as the rising incidence noted in the geriatric population [5]. Given the aging population is rapidly expanding and recent T-cell checkpoint blockade-based immunotherapies have shown remarkable effectiveness, it is becoming increasingly important to understand whether or not elderly melanoma patients should be treated with these agents.

Click here to read the full article in our partner journal Melanoma Management.