Immunotherapy versus targeted therapy in the adjuvant setting for resected stage III melanoma: A single institution study.

Authors

Danai Dima

Danai Dima

Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH

Danai Dima , Nerea Lopetegui-Lia , Olisaemeka Ogbue , Bennett Osantowski , Ramsha Ahmed , Diana Basali , Fatimah Chamseddine , Donald Matthew Eicher , Jung Min Song , Brian Gastman , Lucy Boyce Kennedy , Pauline Funchain

Organizations

Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH

Research Funding

No funding received

Background: Both immunotherapy (IO) and targeted therapy (TT) are approved as adjuvant (Adj) treatment for stage III melanoma, as they have proven to significantly decrease disease recurrence. While there is evidence to suggest overall survival (OS) benefit with TT, data demonstrating OS advantage with Adj IO is lacking. There are no prospective head-to-head trials to date comparing these two treatment modalities. Our aim is to determine whether Adj IO equally improves outcomes compared to Adj TT. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 104 patients (pts) with resected stage III melanoma who received Adj IO or TT from 1/2016 - 12/2021. Relapse free survival (RFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS) and OS rates were assessed between the 2 groups. Results: Of 104 pts, 78 received IO (91% nivolumab, 7% pembrolizumab, 2% other) and 26 pts TT (100% dabrafenib/trametinib). Median follow up was 21 months. At data cutoff, among the 26 pts who received TT, 50% completed 1 year of planned therapy, whereas 50% discontinued TT prematurely (42% due to adverse events [AEs], 8% due to disease relapse). Among the 78 pts who received IO, 70% completed 1 year of planned treatment or continued to receive IO at the end of the study, whereas 30% discontinued IO prematurely (18% due to disease relapse, 12% due to AEs). Relapsed disease was noted in 6/26 (23%) and 27/78 (34.6%) pts of the TT and IO groups, respectively. With regards to location of recurrence, in the TT group 2/6 pts relapsed locally and 4/6 distally, whereas in the IO group 14/27 pts relapsed locally and 13/27 distally. The estimated median RFS of the TT vs IO groups was not reached (NA) (95% Cl: 17 months, NA) vs. 30 months (95% CI: 17 months, NA) respectively, which was not statistically significant (p = 0.49). Comparison of DMFS rate was found not to be statistically significant between the 2 groups (p = 0.86). Finally, median OS was NA in either group. At the end of the study 91% and 90.5% of the pts in the TT and IO arms, respectively, were still alive. The most common AEs in the TT group were fatigue (23%), fever (23%), nausea/vomiting (19%), whereas in the IO group were fatigue (22%), hypothyroidism (14%), diarrhea/colitis (10%), pruritic rash (9%). Conclusions: Both TT and IO appear to equally decrease disease recurrence, locally or distally, when given as Adj therapy for stage III melanoma. Prospective, randomized control trials with longer follow up and larger sample size are warranted to determine any difference in potential OS benefit.

Clinical characteristics.



Targeted Therapy

n = 26 (100%)
Immunotherapy

n = 78 (100%)
Age
Median (range)
55 (33-80)
60 (28-84)
Gender
Male
14 (54%)
50 (64%)
Female
12 (46%)
28 (36%)
Race
White
26 (100%)
78 (100%)
Stage III
A
3 (11.5%)
10 (13%)
B
9 (34.5%)
32 (41%)
C
13 (50%)
33 (42%)
D
1 (4%)
3 (4%)
BRAF mutation
Positive
26 (100%)
32 (41%)
Negative
0 (0%)
40 (51%)
Not documented
0 (0%)
6 (8%)
AEs
None
11 (42%)
24 (31%)
Grade 3-4
0 (0%)
7 (9%)
Grade 5
0 (0%)
0 (0%)

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2022 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Publication Only

Session Title

Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Track

Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Sub Track

Local-Regional Disease

Citation

J Clin Oncol 40, 2022 (suppl 16; abstr e21578)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.e21578

Abstract #

e21578

Abstract Disclosures