Richard Joseph Discusses Treatment Outcomes for Metastatic Melanoma

Richard Joseph, assistant professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, explains how treatment outcomes for metastatic melanoma have grown in the past few years.

Prior to drug approvals in 2011, Joseph says the median survival rate for patients with metastatic melanoma was approximately nine months. Today, it is more than 20 months, mainly due to approvals of Yervoy (iplilimumab), BRAF inhibitors and PD-1 inhibitors. This survival rate is found to be impressive, as no increase had been seen in the 30 years prior to 2011.