Immunotherapy of malignant melanoma

Immunotherapy of cancer is the manipulation of the body's immune system to target against cancer and to achieve its eradication. Molecular immunology has opened new frontiers for the development of new immunotherapeutic modalities against cancer. As we gain a better understanding of the immune system, we will be able to apply its principles in clinical trials to assess the efficacy of immunotherapy. Malignant melanoma has been found to be relatively more antigenic, and because it is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, it is an ideal cancer model for immunotherapy trials. If immunotherapy of melanoma proves to be a useful therapy, the principles derived from melanoma may be applied to other solid tumors resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.