Dr. Kondziolka on Therapy for Patients With Melanoma Who Have Brain Mets

Doug Kondziolka, MD, professor and vice chair of Clinical Research, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses therapeutic approaches for patients with melanoma who have brain metastases.

Findings show that patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma who are often on a targeted therapy are still prone to developing brain metastases, Kondziolka explains. These can be treated with focused radiation or tumor removal if the tumor is of a larger size. For patients on immunotherapy, focused radiation can also be effective. What the difference is with these approaches is the effect it has on the tumor, which could possibly be swelling in the brain.

While immunotherapies are effective in patients with melanoma, these treatments might have a more robust impact on the brain.