Adjuvant therapy for melanoma

The search for effective adjuvant therapy for melanoma has resulted in the testing of a remarkably broad spectrum of therapeutic agents. Until recently, there was little evidence to suggest a benefit for any adjuvant therapy. The demonstration of activity for adjuvant high-dose interferon alfa in a cooperative group trial resulted in Food and Drug Administration approval and has dramatically changed the melanoma landscape. This article reviews all the randomized adjuvant trials conducted to date in melanoma, discusses pertinent studies still in progress or awaiting analysis, and offers recommendations for the adjuvant treatment of melanoma patients rendered clinically disease-free by surgery.