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In a recent review of the 5-year outcomes from the COMBI-d and COMBI-v trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigators saw long-term benefit with the use of dabrafenib plus trametinib as first-line treatment in about one-third of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma and BRAF V600E or V600K mutations.
Keith T. Flaherty, MD, discusses the combination regimens and the potential role for a 3-drug regimen as treatment for patients with melanoma. He says investigators have been searching for new combination strategies beyond the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors.
In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Shailender Bhatia, MD, highlighted the key takeaways from the 5 abstracts he found most significant at the 2019 ASCO meeting for the treatment of patients with melanoma.
In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Michael Atkins, MD, discussed the latest follow-up data from the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab across 2 trials and next steps in the research with this combination for patients with advanced melanoma.
The combination of bempegaldesleukin and nivolumab was granted a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of patients with previously untreated unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
David Polsky, MD, PhD, discusses the findings from a liquid biopsy analysis of the COMBI-d trial, which is a phase III trial investigating the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib or dabrafenib alone in patients with BRAF V600E/K–mutant melanoma. Investigators found an association between the presence of baseline circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and a poor prognosis with the treatment of BRAF inhibitors.
In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Rodabe N. Amaria, MD, discussed the guidelines and recommendations outlined by the INMC. She also highlighted the importance of genomic testing in the neoadjuvant setting of melanoma.
In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, David Polsky, MD, PhD, discussed the findings from this analysis in patients with <em>BRAF</em>-mutant, unresectable, metastatic melanoma. He highlighted the next steps necessary for validating these findings and potentially using ctDNA to help inform treatment decisions for patients with metastatic melanoma.
The FDA has accepted 6 supplemental Biologics License Applications (sBLAs) for review for a potential update to the dosing schedule for pembrolizumab across several indications.
The ability to activate pattern recognition receptors, carry other genetic “cargo” to modify immunity, and induce lymphocyte infiltration into cancer is an appealing strategy accomplished by intralesional oncolytic viruses. Thus, the concept of combining these novel therapeutics in the preoperative setting to enhance in situ immunization and antitumor activity systemically, as well as to increase R0 complete resection, may be a useful approach to lead to cure, according to Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD.
Nikhil I. Khushalani, MD, discusses the rationale for combining nivolumab with bempegaldesleukin for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed, unresectable or metastatic melanoma in a randomized, open-label phase III trial.
Biomarker expansion has enjoyed a boom since 2006, with patient incidence of positive biomarkers reaching up to 50% in non–small cell lung cancer and melanoma and 25% in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, according to the <em>Global Oncology Trends 2018</em> report.
The phase III IMspire170 trial failed to meet its primary endpoint according to topline results from the study. The combination of atezolizumab and cobimetinib did not improve progression-free survival compared with pembrolizumab in patients with previously untreated<em> BRAF </em>V600 wild-type melanoma.
<em>Targeted Oncology</em> spoke with experts in attendance at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting to review what they believed were some of the biggest takeaways from this year's presentation across the fields of lung cancer, breast cancer, GI cancers, genitourinary cancers, melanoma, and multiple myeloma.
Neoadjuvant talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) led to a significant improvement in the 1-year recurrence-free survival rate in patients with resectable advanced melanoma compared with surgery alone, according to a randomized trial presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.
The investigational PD-1 inhibitor spartalizumab demonstrated a high rate of complete responses in combination with dabrafenib and trametinib in patients with previously untreated advanced <em>BRAF </em>V600–mutant melanoma. Patients pooled from 2 parts of the 3-part COMBI-i study demonstrated a CR rate of more than 40%.
Keith T. Flaherty, MD, director, Termeer Center for Targeted Therapy, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, shares updated overall survival data from the phase III COLUMBUS trial examining encorafenib plus binimetinib versus vemurafenib or encorafenib in patients with BRAF V600-mutant melanoma.
Updated data from the phase III EORTC 18071 study showed that patients with surgically resected high-risk, stage III melanoma experienced a 25% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death with adjuvant ipilimumab compared with placebo.
According to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, cancer death rates have declined in men, women, and children across all cancer types, and have continued to decline between 1999 and 2016. In a special section of this year’s report, however, data show that both cancer incidence and death rates were higher in women aged 20 to 49 compared to male counterparts.
Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, co-physician editor-in-chief of <em>Targeted Therapies in Oncology</em>, highlights a series of exciting results presented across various topics, which affect cancer research and treatment, during the 2019 AACR Annual Meeting.
Investigators across the globe have expended considerable effort attempting to identify mechanisms of response and resistance to ICIs. The general conclusion is that each patient’s response to immunotherapy is likely complex and highly individualized.
Ryan J. Sullivan, MD, discusses the role of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment landscape for patients with melanoma.
The FDA has granted tebentafusp (IMCgp100) a fast track designation for the treatment of patients with HLA-A*0201-positive previously untreated metastatic uveal melanoma, according to Immunocore Limited, the company developing the novel immunotherapy agent.
Entinostat in combination with pembrolizumab induced responses in patients with recurrent or metastatic melanoma who have progressed on or after prior anti–PD-1 therapy, according to results of a phase II trial.
According to new data, survivors of childhood cancer who have lived 5 or more years from their primary malignancy may be up to 30 times more likely to develop a skin malignancy compared with the general population.