History of Melanoma in Timeline

Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer arising from melanocytes. While most commonly found on the skin, it can, in rare instances, occur in other parts of the body, such as the mouth, intestines, or eyes. Early detection and treatment are critical for improving patient outcomes.

1968: Identification of Excised Tumor

In 1968, microscopic examination of John Hunter's preserved specimen from 1787 revealed it to be an example of metastatic melanoma.

1975: FDA Approval of Dacarbazine

In 1975, chemotherapy drugs such as dacarbazine were approved by the FDA and became the backbone of metastatic melanoma treatment.

1990: EU Approval of IL-2

In 1990, IL-2 (Proleukin) was approved in the EU for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

1992: US Approval of IL-2

In 1992, IL-2 (Proleukin) was approved in the US for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

2005: Review on Statin and Fibrate Medication

A 2005 review found tentative evidence suggesting that statin and fibrate medication may decrease the risk of melanoma.

2006: Review on Statin and Fibrate Benefit

A 2006 review did not support any benefit from statin and fibrate medication in relation to melanoma risk.

2009: Meta-analysis of Surgical Margins

A 2009 meta-analysis found a small, statistically insignificant difference in survival rates favoring wide excision of primary cutaneous melanomas.

2009: Cancer Vaccine Benefit

In 2009, a cancer vaccine showed modest benefit in late-stage testing against melanoma.

June 2010: Clinical Findings of Ipilimumab

In June 2010, Bristol Myers Squibb reported clinical findings of ipilimumab, showing increased median survival in patients with advanced melanomas compared to an experimental vaccine.

March 2011: FDA Approval of Ipilimumab

In March 2011, Ipilimumab was approved by the FDA to treat patients with late-stage melanoma that has spread or cannot be removed by surgery.

June 2011: Clinical Trial of Ipilimumab Plus Dacarbazine

In June 2011, a clinical trial of ipilimumab plus dacarbazine showed an increase in median survival for late stage melanoma patients to 11 months.

June 2011: Confirmation of B-Raf Inhibitors

In June 2011, a large clinical trial confirmed the positive findings from earlier trials that B-Raf inhibitors could lead to substantial tumor regression in a majority of patients if their tumor contained the B-Raf mutation.

August 2011: FDA Approval of Vemurafenib

In August 2011, Vemurafenib received FDA approval for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.

2011: Meta-analysis of Interferon

A 2011 meta-analysis showed that interferon could lengthen the time before a melanoma comes back, but increased survival by only 3% at 5 years.

2011: Melanoma Statistics in the United States

In 2011, melanoma affected 19.7 per 100,000 people in the United States and resulted in death in 2.7 per 100,000.

October 2012: Study on Dabrafenib with Trametinib

In October 2012 a study reported that combining Dabrafenib with a MEK inhibitor trametinib led to better outcomes in Melanoma treatment.

2012: Global Melanoma Incidence and Mortality

Globally, in 2012, melanoma occurred in 232,000 people and resulted in 55,000 deaths.

2012: Melanoma Deaths in Australia

In 2012, deaths from melanoma in Australia occurred in 7.3–9.8 per 100,000 population.

2012: Melanoma Incidence Worldwide

In 2012, melanoma newly occurred in 232,000 people globally.

May 2013: FDA Approval of Dabrafenib

In May 2013, the US FDA approved dabrafenib as a single agent treatment for patients with BRAF V600E mutation-positive advanced melanoma.

2013: Meta-analysis of Interferon Alpha

A 2013 meta-analysis suggested that the addition of interferon alpha increased disease-free and overall survival for people with AJCC TNM stage II-III cutaneous melanoma.

January 2014: FDA Approval of Dabrafenib and Trametinib Combination

In January 2014, the FDA approved the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib for the treatment of people with BRAF V600E/K-mutant metastatic melanoma.

2014: Meta-Analysis of Surgical Interventions

In 2014, a meta-analysis found no randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions to treat lentigo maligna or melanoma in-situ, despite surgery being the most widely used treatment.

2015: Controversy Around Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

As of 2015, controversy exists around trial evidence for sentinel lymph node biopsy, with unclear evidence of benefit.

2015: Melanoma Prevalence and Mortality

In 2015, 3.1 million people had active melanoma, resulting in 59,800 deaths.

2015: Usefulness of Talimogene Laherparepvec

In 2015, Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) was shown to be useful against metastatic melanoma with an increased survival of 4.4 months.

June 2018: FDA Approval of Encorafenib and Binimetinib Combination

In June 2018, the FDA approved the combination of a BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and a MEK inhibitor binimetinib for the treatment of un-resectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600E or V600K mutation.