Dr. Kiran Turaga on Regional Therapies in Melanoma

Kiran Turaga, MD, MPH, surgical oncologist, University of Chicago Cancer Center, discuses regional therapies in melanoma.

The application of regional therapies for melanoma has been proven to be a very effective treatment for intransit melanoma, says Turaga.

Regional therapies for melanoma include isolated limb infusions and isolated limb perfusions. Isolated limb infusions are an attractive option because they are percutaneous, minimally invasive, and patients can go home quickly after treatment, says Turaga. The compete response rates ranges from 40 to 70%. A meta analysis looking at regional therapies for melanoma found that the overall survival in this population was about 41 months.

Questions remain regarding how to integrate immune modulating agents along with regional therapies for melanoma.