ACC

Patients with metastatic melanoma had few treatment options until recently, when molecular targeting and immunotherapy were introduced into the clinic, leading to an important improvement in the percentage of objective responses and survival. Mutational analysis of tumors for genes such as B-RAF, N-RAS, c-Kit, GNaQ has allowed to identify not only specific subtypes of melanoma, such as skin, acral, mucosal, and uveal, but also to identify patients who may benefit from B-RAF or MEK/inhibitors and immunotherapy.

The Melanoma Working Group created in ACC brings together 16 groups that mainly deal with this pathology in the recognized IRCCS from Ministry of Health. The group is coordinated for the clinical part by Dr. Paolo Ascierto (Ist Pascale-Napoli), for the preclinical part of Dr. Licia Rivoltini (INT-Milan): secretary of the WG is Dr. Giandomenico Russo (IDI, Rome).

WG Melanoma has access of more than 4000 patients per year, of which 1680 in oncology and 1380 new metastases. The afferent groups participated in more than 100 clinical studies.

WG melanoma has as its goals:

Standardization, using Next Generation Sequencing technologies, of commonly used panel for diagnosis and molecular follow-up of primitive and metastatic melanoma based on the general lines of the ACC Genomics oncochip that takes account of “actionable targets” and druggable ” genes.

The possible use of retrospective and prospective studies to identify possible predictors of response to immunotherapy, target therapy and their combinations, taking in due consideration of the presence of both early non-responders and long survivors.

Increase awareness and publicity of clinical trials within the Melanoma WG structures.

Secretary (of the Executive Board): Giandomenico Russo - IDI ROMA
Head of Pre-Clinical Operations: Licia Rivoltini - INT MILANO
Head of Clinical Operations: Paolo Ascierto - PASCALE NAPOLI