Immunotherapy in Melanoma: Recent Advancements and Future Directions

Simple Summary: Progress in the treatment of malignant melanoma, particularly with the use of immunotherapy, has markedly improved outcomes. Despite these successes, many patients will not benefit from immunotherapy or will experience tumor growth after an initial response. Current efforts center on innovative therapeutic approaches to improve upon the advancements seen with single-agent programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibition and/or combination immune checkpoint inhibition. This review details several of the novel strategies under investigation in the treatment of patients with both resectable and unresectable disease. Immune checkpoint inhibition has fundamentally altered the treatment paradigm of resectable and unresectable melanoma, resulting in dramatic improvements in patient outcomes. With these advances, the five-year overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed unresectable disease has eclipsed 50%. Ongoing research is focused on improving outcomes further, with a considerable emphasis on preventing de novo and acquired resistance and personalizing therapeutic options. Here, we review the ongoing advancements in the treatment of malignant melanoma, focusing on novel combination strategies that aim to build upon the successes of the last decade.