Dabrafenib and Trametinib for the Treatment of Pediatric and Adolescent Melanoma: Single Center Experience Data From Italian Compassionate Use

Abstract

Data on BRAF/MEK inhibitors in pediatric and adolescent melanoma patients are limited. We report data of patients treated with dabrafenib/trametinib for compassionate use at our institution. From January 2020, four patients with Stage III and two patients with Stage IV disease were treated. Our report demonstrates that targeted therapy in children and adolescents is safe and achieves survival rates comparable to those observed in adults. These findings support granting young patients with adult-onset tumors access to compassionate use, as well as increasing their inclusion in clinical trials. Such measures would ensure equitable access to treatments available for adult patients and contribute to improved treatment outcomes.