Abstract
The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has continued to increase rapidly. While we have made gains in mortality in young age groups, a significant proportion of older men die from melanoma. Early detection remains critical. Melanoma patients at high risk of recurrence will benefit from participation in clinical trials. The sentinel lymph node biopsy is the staging procedure of choice to identify those most at risk of recurrence. Among adjuvant therapies, high-dose interferon remains the benchmark against which all new therapies are compared. A growing understanding of tumor immunology and the importance of Ras signaling and angiogenesis in melanoma has opened the door for novel therapeutic approaches. Ongoing Phase III clinical trials for high-risk patients are discussed.