TDNet Discover

Background: The incidence of melanoma has continued to rise over the past few decades. Localized melanoma has a five-year survival rate of 99%;however, this relies on early diagnosis and treatment. This rate decreases to 25% when the melanoma metastasizes. Some treatments include interleukin-2, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, radiation, etc.;however, their toxicity profiles are not favorable. Objective: To conduct a systematic review (SR) of literature to assess the role and efficacy of dendritic cell-based (DC) vaccines in the treatment of metastatic/advanced melanoma. Methods: A SR of the literature pertaining to DC vaccine in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, including relevant clinical trials, was performed by searching all available abstracts through three databases: Pubmed, CINAHL Complete, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Final articles were selected based on full text review, adherence to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and consensus among three individual researchers. Ten articles were selected in total and analyzed according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute quality assessment tool. Major outcomes included overall survival, toxicity, and CD8/CD4 count related to dendritic cell-based vaccines and immunotherapy. Results: While not a curative intervention, DC vaccinations significantly improved overall survival (OS) for patients with malignant melanomas of many different types. DC vaccines are well-tolerated and are effectively immunogenic against melanomas, especially when given in combination with other antitumor agents such as ipilimumab. Conclusion: The use of DC vaccines in the treatment of malignant melanoma warrants further research, as they appear to greatly improve disease stability and survival length. DC incorporation into the current standard of care for malignant melanoma may improve clinical outcomes and OS for these patients.