Targeted Therapies in Melanoma: Successes and Pitfalls

Incidence of melanoma is steadily rising worldwide [1]. Lifetime risk of developing melano‐ ma in Caucasians is estimated as 1 in 50 individuals [2-3]. The incidence of melanoma varies according to the geographical origins of the population and the extent of sun exposure. In Australia and United States, an incidence of melanoma higher than observed in the Europe‐ an countries (with the notable exception of Sweden) has been reported [4-5]. There is a gra‐ dient of melanoma incidence from north to south in Europe, with highest frequencies in the northern counties. This suggests that initiation and development of melanoma is due to a combination of the damaging effects of UV and a predisposing genetic background [5].