Targeted therapy is a drug treatment that targets specific features of cancer cells to stop the cancer growing and spreading. Your doctor will check if the melanoma you have has a specific mutation before offering you a targeted therapy drug.
Learn more about:
- Having targeted therapy
- Side effects of targeted therapy
- Video: What is targeted therapy?
- Podcast: Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy
Having targeted therapy
About 50% of people with melanoma have a BRAF mutation. This mutation can be blocked by giving BRAF and MEK inhibitor drugs – a treatment shown to be effective for people with advanced melanoma that has the BRAF mutation.
Targeted therapy drugs are generally taken as tablets (orally) once or twice a day, often for many months or even years.
A good response from targeted therapy will make cancer that can be seen on a scan shrink or even disappear completely on scans. In some cases, the cancer remains stable, which means it doesn’t grow in size.
Cancer cells can sometimes become resistant to targeted therapy drugs over time. If this happens, your doctor may suggest trying another type of treatment.
Possible side effects of targeted therapy
The side effects of targeted therapy will vary depending on which drugs you are given. Common side effects include:
- fever
- tiredness
- joint pain
- rash and other skin problems
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- diarrhoea.
Ask your treatment team how you can deal with any side effects.
Learn more about targeted therapy.
→ READ MORE: Radiation therapy for advanced melanoma
Video: What is targeted therapy?
Watch this short video to learn more about targeted and immunotherapy.
Podcast: Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy
More resources
A/Prof Rachel Roberts-Thomson, Medical Oncologist, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SA; A/Prof Robyn Saw, Surgical Oncologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Marcus Cheng, Radiation Oncologist Registrar, Alfred Health, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, Deputy Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, Chair, National Skin Cancer Committee, Cancer Council, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia; Prof David Gyorki, Surgical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Rhonda Harvey, Mohs Surgeon, Dermatologist, Green Square Dermatology, The Skin Hospital, Darlinghurst and Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre, RPA, NSW; David Hoffman, Consumer; A/Prof Jeremy Hudson, Southern Cross University, James Cook University, Chair of Dermatology RACGP, Clinical Director, North Queensland Skin Cancer, QLD; Dr Damien Kee, Medical Oncologist, Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Clinical Research Fellow, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, VIC; Angelica Miller, Melanoma Community Support Nurse, Melanoma Institute Australia, WA; Romy Pham, 13 11 20 Consultant, QLD; A/Prof Sasha Senthi, Radiation Oncologist, Alfred Health, and Clinical Research Fellow, Victorian Cancer Agency, VIC; Dr Chistoph Sinz, Dermatologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, NSW; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow, Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Nicole Taylor, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, NSW.
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