New Strategies for the Treatment of Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 62
Special Issue Editors
Interests: autoimmunity; angiogenesis; cancer-associated fibroblasts; irAE
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Current immunotherapy and targeted therapy for skin cancers: Perspectives on the Development of Novel Treatments
Since nivolumab became available in clinical practice in 2014, the treatment landscape for skin malignancies—including unresectable malignant melanoma—has undergone dramatic advancements. In fact, anti-PD-1 antibodies have significantly transformed the treatment of many cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, and gastric cancer, serving as an anchor drug in various combination therapies, such as when combined with ipilimumab or relatlimab. Meanwhile, around the same time as the advent of immunotherapy in the field of skin cancer, the development of molecularly targeted drugs—for example, BRAF and MEK inhibitors for melanoma—was also underway. Based on various clinical trial results, Western countries recommend prioritizing immunotherapy as the first-line treatment for unresectable melanoma, with molecularly targeted therapy used sequentially. However, in East Asian melanoma patients, the efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibodies appears to differ from that observed in Western populations, with lower response rates observed. Furthermore, for BRAF wild-type melanoma that is resistant to anti-PD-1 antibodies, the combination therapy of nivolumab and ipilimumab remains the only treatment option available in Japan, although its safety and efficacy remain under debate. Due to these challenges, no established treatment exists for BRAF wild-type melanoma resistant to anti-PD-1 antibodies, particularly among Asian patients. Additionally, while clinical trials in Japan are evaluating the effects of anti-PD-1 antibodies on non-melanoma skin cancers, the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma has been found to be lower compared to reports from overseas. This Special Issue discusses the racial differences in the effectiveness of immunotherapy—centered on anti-PD-1 antibodies, an anchor drug in the treatment of skin cancer—from the perspectives of both basic research and clinical studies.
Prof. Dr. Yoshihide Asano
Dr. Taku Fujimura
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- melanoma
- non-melanoma skin cancer
- immunotherapy
- anti-PD-1 antibody
- BRAF/MEK inhibitors
- racial differences
- prognosis
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
