The incidence of malignant melanoma continues to rise exponentially and it is estimated that 7000 people will die of metastatic malignant melanoma annually. Conventional chemotherapy, immunological and/or biological therapies and novel combinations are being studied intensively in an effort to improve the dismal outcome for patients with this disease. This review deals with recently published studies and the state of the art of the treatment available for metastatic malignant melanoma.