The balance between response rate and side effects in melanoma treatment

Marcus Butler, MD, from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada, discusses the balance between response rate and side effects of melanoma therapy at the European Cancer Congress of the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. There are currently trials in melanoma to see if altering doses may improve response rate and reduce toxicities. Despite monotherapy typically being quite safe in terms of toxicity, there is evidence to suggest that combination therapies, while having more side effects, may improve response rates. Dr Butler gives the example of combining immune modulating agents with oncolytic viruses to induce a better immune response.