The systemic treatment of melanoma remains a formidable challenge to oncologists of all disciplines. Recent progress in the molecular biology and immunology of melanoma has greatly increased our level of basic understanding of melanoma. In the past year, the systematic pursuit of agents that may modulate the antitumor activity of dace has yielded important new information, and the hope that the standard of therapy for metastatic melanoma may soon evolve. Advances in the treatment of advanced melanoma have been translated to the adjuvant sphere with promising results from interferon-alpha, and we may expect to witness the application of basic understanding of the biology of melanoma precursors to melanoma prevention in the near future.