Medical Oncology melanoma research

In 2014, our focus in melanoma research moved from advanced disease to treating earlier stage disease with the hope of finding effective systemic adjuvant treatments.

Earlier research involving many Alfred patients established targeted therapy as the new standard of care for advanced melanoma in which a B-Raf mutation is detected.

In 2014 we were involved in two large international studies looking at the role of targeted therapies as potential adjuvant treatments for stage III melanoma. As the highest recruiter in Victoria to these studies, The Alfred has played a major role in rapidly moving this area forward.

In other translational research, Dr Haydon is a co-investigator on a multimillion VCA award entitled ‘The Melbourne Melanoma Project: Translating immunology and molecular biospecimen profiles into the management of melanoma patients’. This project is led by Professor Grant McArthur of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and other Alfred Research Alliance participants are the heads of the Victorian Melanoma Service (Professor John Kelly) and Anatomical Pathology (Professor Catriona McLean).

Melanoma research is also conducted by the Victorian Melanoma Service, in partnership with the Medical Oncology and the Melbourne Melanoma Project.

Find out more about Victorian Melanoma Service research.