AIM at Melanoma

05/06/2026

What an incredible day at our first-ever Huntsville Steps Against Melanoma walk! 👟👟

This community showed up in a big way to raise awareness and critical funds for melanoma research. Together, we honored loved ones, celebrated survivors, shared stories, and took an important first step toward building a lasting melanoma community in Huntsville.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this inaugural event such a success. We're excited to continue growing this community in the years ahead!

05/06/2026

The Birmingham Steps Against Melanoma walk kicked off our spring walk season on April 18th, and we couldn't have asked for a better start! 🖤

It was a day full of connection, inspiration, and hope as survivors, families, friends, and supporters came together for a cause that means so much to all of us.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their stories, honored loved ones, and helped make the day so special. We're grateful for this amazing community and all we're able to accomplish together.

05/06/2026

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy used to treat melanoma and several other cancers. They work by blocking signals that can prevent the immune system from recognizing and attacking melanoma cells effectively.

The immune system naturally has “checkpoints” — proteins that help keep immune responses under control. Melanoma cells can sometimes use these checkpoints to hide from the immune system and avoid being attacked.

Common checkpoint inhibitors used in melanoma treatment include:
• Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
• Nivolumab (Opdivo)
• Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
• Opdualag (nivolumab + relatlimab)

Checkpoint inhibitors may be used:
• For advanced melanoma
• After surgery to reduce recurrence risk
• Before surgery in some patients
• As part of clinical trials studying new treatment approaches

Because these drugs activate the immune system, they can also cause immune-related side effects that may affect healthy organs and tissues. Patients should discuss possible risks, benefits, and side effects with their healthcare team.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed melanoma treatment and continue to play a major role in improving outcomes for many patients.

Learn more about immunotherapy and melanoma treatment options at AIMatMelanoma.org

05/06/2026

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the body’s immune system better recognize and attack melanoma cells.

Normally, the immune system works to identify and destroy abnormal or harmful cells. But melanoma cells can sometimes hide from the immune system or prevent immune cells from attacking them effectively.

Immunotherapy works by helping remove some of those barriers so the immune system can respond more strongly against the cancer.

Several types of immunotherapy are used in melanoma treatment, including:
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Combination immunotherapy
• Cellular therapies such as TIL therapy
• Injectable immunotherapies

Some immunotherapies are used for advanced melanoma, while others may be used after surgery to help reduce the risk of recurrence.

Because immunotherapy activates the immune system, side effects can occur when the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body. Patients should always discuss possible benefits and risks with their healthcare team.

Immunotherapy has significantly changed melanoma treatment over the last decade and continues to be an important area of melanoma research and clinical trials.

Learn more about immunotherapy and melanoma treatment options at AIMatMelanoma.org

04/06/2026

A clinical trial is a research study that helps doctors and scientists evaluate new approaches to preventing, diagnosing, monitoring, or treating diseases such as melanoma.

Clinical trials are an important part of advancing melanoma care. Many of today’s approved melanoma treatments — including immunotherapy and targeted therapy — were first studied in clinical trials.

Some clinical trials study:
• New medications or treatment combinations
• Different ways to use existing treatments
• New surgical approaches
• Side effect management
• Cancer prevention or early detection
• Quality of life during and after treatment

Clinical trials are conducted in phases, each designed to answer specific questions about safety, effectiveness, and how treatments compare to current standards of care.

Participation in a clinical trial is always voluntary. Before enrolling, patients go through an informed consent process where the study, risks, possible benefits, and requirements are explained in detail.

For some patients, clinical trials may provide access to promising new therapies while also helping improve future melanoma treatment for others.

Understanding how clinical trials work can help patients and caregivers feel more informed when exploring treatment options and discussing care with their healthcare team.

Learn more about melanoma clinical trials and patient education resources at AIM at Melanoma.

https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/how-melanoma-is-treated/clinical-trials/

04/06/2026

There is encouraging news for people living with advanced melanoma in Australia.

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Amtagvi® (lifileucel) for adults with advanced melanoma whose cancer has progressed after treatment with immunotherapy and, when appropriate, targeted therapy.

Amtagvi is a type of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, a personalized treatment that uses a patient's own immune cells to help fight cancer. Immune cells are collected from a patient's tumor, expanded in a laboratory, and then returned to the body to target melanoma cells.

The approval was based on results from the global Phase 2 C-144-01 clinical trial, which showed that some patients experienced meaningful and long-lasting responses to treatment.

This marks an important milestone, as Amtagvi is the first approved T-cell therapy for a solid tumor cancer in Australia and provides a new option for patients with advanced melanoma who have limited treatment choices after standard therapies.

Researchers are also studying Amtagvi in earlier stages of melanoma treatment and in other solid tumors through ongoing clinical trials.



https://melbourne-insider.au/iovance-amtagvi-melanoma-treatment-australia/

03/06/2026

A recent feature in allure magazine explores a concerning trend: The resurgence of tanning culture among younger generations.

As an organization dedicated to melanoma education, advocacy, and research, AIM at Melanoma was pleased to contribute to this important conversation. Alicia Rowell, AIM’s Vice President, was interviewed for the article, for her experience in prevention education with AIM and her work with the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention.

A recent feature in allure magazine explores a concerning trend: The resurgence of tanning culture among younger generations. The article examines how social media, beauty standards, and evolving attitudes toward appearance are influencing some consumers…

03/06/2026

Each year at ASCO — the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting — leading cancer researchers and physicians from around the world gather to share the latest advances in cancer treatment, research, and patient care.

Following this year’s meeting, AIM at Melanoma and Save Your Skin Foundation are partnering to bring this information directly to patients and caregivers through a special post-ASCO webinar featuring two leading melanoma experts.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Vern Sondak, Chair of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, internationally recognized for his leadership in melanoma surgery, staging, and treatment advances.

Joining him is Dr. Marcus Butler of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, a medical oncologist and immunotherapy researcher focused on developing new therapies and advancing clinical trials in melanoma.

Together, they will reflect on key themes, emerging research, and important conversations coming out of the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting — and what they may mean for patients moving forward.

Topics may include:

• Emerging treatment approaches
• New clinical data and research findings
• Evolving standards of care
• What patients and caregivers should know moving forward

Specific discussion topics will depend on the research and presentations shared during the meeting.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3RmVkYq

02/06/2026

Breslow depth, also called Breslow thickness, is one of the most important pieces of information in a melanoma pathology report.

It measures how deeply the melanoma has grown into the skin, from the top layer of the skin down to the deepest point of the tumor. The measurement is given in millimeters (mm).

In general, the deeper a melanoma grows into the skin, the greater the risk that it could spread beyond the original tumor site. Breslow depth helps doctors determine the stage of melanoma and guide treatment decisions.

For example, Breslow depth may help determine:
• Whether additional surgery is needed
• Whether a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) may be recommended
• Risk of recurrence or spread
• Follow-up care and monitoring recommendations

You may hear measurements such as:
• Less than 1 mm
• 1–2 mm
• More than 4 mm

Even small differences in depth can influence melanoma staging and treatment planning.

Understanding terms like Breslow depth can help patients and caregivers feel more informed and prepared when reviewing pathology reports and discussing treatment options with their healthcare team.

Learn more melanoma terminology and patient education resources at AIM at Melanoma.

https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/melanoma-101/

01/06/2026

If you’ve been diagnosed with Stage 0 melanoma, also called melanoma in situ, it means the melanoma is confined to the epidermis — the outermost layer of the skin — and has not grown deeper into the dermis or spread to lymph nodes or distant organs.

Stage 0 melanoma is considered non-invasive melanoma, and the risk of recurrence or metastasis is very low.

Treatment typically involves a surgical procedure called a wide local excision, which removes any remaining melanoma cells along with a small margin of surrounding healthy tissue to help ensure the cancer has been fully removed.

Understanding melanoma stage by stage can help patients and caregivers feel more informed after diagnosis and better prepared for conversations with their healthcare team.

Learn more about Stage 0 melanoma, treatment options, and questions to ask your doctor by visiting our website https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/stages-of-melanoma/