Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma

Immunotherapy
An RCT comparing allogeneic melanoma vaccine versus observation
in patients with surgically treated melanoma found no significant
difference in disease-free survival between randomisation groups, nor
between patients with thick (> 3 mm) versus thin (≤ 3 mm) tumours.
Improving Outcomes for
People with Skin Tumours
including Melanoma
Initial investigation,
diagnosis, staging and
management
A small RCT comparing vaccine therapy with placebo concluded that
immunisation with a melanoma vaccine was able to slow the
progression of melanoma with reduced time to recurrence. No
significant effect was observed for overall survival.
In-transit melanoma
Evidence from one systematic review of RCTs suggests that ILP with
melphalan can be used as a treatment for local disease control of intransit
melanoma where other forms of locoregional therapy are not
suitable.
Palliative and supportive care
4
There is a lack of good-quality evidence on the specific service
requirements for palliative care of patients with skin cancer. The
evidence for supportive care has been reviewed in the ‘Patient-centred
care’ chapter.
The evidence for the requirements for adult cancer patients and their
carers is reviewed in the NICE Guidance on Cancer Services
Improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer.
Evidence for the requirements of children and young people with
cancer is contained in the NICE Guidance on Cancer Services
Improving outcomes in children and young people with cancer.
Guidance on cancer services: skin tumours including melanoma 97