Research Progress of PD-1/PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitors in (Neo) Adjuvant Therapy for Malignant Melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer with a high recurrence rate and death rate. Surgery still is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ melanoma. For lack of effective (neo)adjuvant therapy, the prognosis of high-risk melanoma patients remains poor with 5-year survival rate of 30%-70%. PD-1 and PD-L1 belong to immunosuppressive pathway, and they can inhibit T cell activation and proliferation, which play an important role in tumor immune escape. In recent years, several kinds of antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have been approved by FDA and have shown significant curative effect on advanced melanoma. Thus, a series of clinical trials on (neo)adjuvant therapies of high risk melanoma using PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies are carrying out. This article mainly reviews and summarizes the related studies and discusses the application prospect and possible development direction of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in (neo)adjuvant therapy of melanoma.