Inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria and study summary
Malignant melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, 14,500 new cases were diagnosed in 2013. In metastatic melanoma, cancerous cells spread around the body to sites distant from the original skin tumour. Up to 45% of individuals suffering with metastatic melanoma will develop skin deposits (metastases). If left untreated they can grow in size, ulcerate or cause distress through their appearance. Current treatment options include surgery and radiotherapy which can involve separate hospital visits as well as follow up appointments for aftercare. Unfortunately, despite these treatments, the response by metastases is very variable and although some patients improve, others do not show a good response. Microwave ablation (MWA) is the thermal destruction of cells through the generation of heat from oscillating water molecules. It is already used in the management of internal malignancies. Melanoma skin metastases represent an ideal target for MWA treatment due to their accessible nature. Recent advances in systemic immunotherapy for melanoma have shown the effectiveness of treatments aimed at enhancing the immune response to melanoma. We have previously shown in a study of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) skin infection that microwave therapy is well tolerated and induces an anti-HPV immune response. It is possible that MWA may be able to stimulate and augment a systemic anti-melanoma response as well providing local destruction of melanoma metastases. We propose a pilot study to establish if MWA can successfully treat metastatic melanoma deposits using the Swift device manufactured by Emblation. We hypothesise that precise delivery of microwave energy onto a melanoma deposit will lead to its destruction. In this biomarker driven study we will analyse the treated melanoma tumours for histological, morphological and gene expression changes before and after treatment. We will assess circulating T-cells for antimelanoma activity before and after treatment.
