SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Skin Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1619248
A Comprehensive Review & Case Series of Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapies in Acral Melanoma with Emerging Insights from CT DNA Testing
Provisionally accepted
- University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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Acral melanoma is a rare but aggressive type of skin cancer that appears on the hands, feet, and under the nails. Unlike other melanomas, it is not linked to sun exposure and has unique genetic features that may require different treatment strategies. This research aims to explore whether immunotherapy given before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) or after surgery (adjuvant therapy) is more effective in improving patient outcomes. By analyzing existing studies, we hope to understand which approach better reduces the risk of cancer returning and improves survival. Further, we assessed the clinical course and outcomes of adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy through a case series of 5 patients who underwent either intervention. Additionally, we examine how new blood tests that detect tumor DNA could help track treatment response and personalize therapy. Our findings may guide doctors in selecting the best treatment plans, leading to improved care for patients with this challenging disease and advancing research into more effective therapies.
Keywords: acral melanoma, Neoadjuvant immunotherapies, Adjuvant immunotherapy, CT DNA Monitoring, Melanoma
Received: 27 Apr 2025; Accepted: 10 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rao, Mathavan, Mathavan and Doonan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Adityanarayan Rao, a.rao1@ufl.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.