Program Overview
The mission of the UPCI Melanoma Program is to offer the most advanced range of new investigational options in the context of an established program of standard treatment and supportive options for all phases of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The program's work is ultimately translational, and as such provides state-of-the-art treatment for those with melanoma, and educates patients and the community regarding the disease via the patient care arm at UPMC Cancer Centers.
The program provides an environment in which a broad range of scientists dedicated to improving our understanding of melanoma and skin cancers through the application of new drugs, immunological approaches, and specialized imaging have interacted to produce excellence in melanoma research. Major efforts include the development of new treatment strategies for melanoma, including immuno-biological therapies of melanoma. Approaches utilizing new chemotherapy and modulators of drug resistance with biological agents that may harness and redirect immunological responses are also being developed, refined and evaluated by the Program, as are targeted approaches to promote melanoma cell death by inhibiting the tumor's blood supply.
The Program's research themes include:
- Antigen discovery and immunotherapy
- Cytokine and other interventions for advanced disease
- Adjuvant biological therapy for "high-risk" melanoma
- Melanoma prevention and progression
More information on these specific efforts is available on our research activities pages.