Melanoma & Skin Cancer

Findings from the DREAMseq trial indicate that nivolumab plus ipilimumab should be administered prior to the combination of a BRAF and MEK inhibitor in patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma.

A biologics license application seeking the approval of a reformulation of denileukin diftitox for use as a potential therapeutic option in patients with persistent or recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma has been submitted to the FDA.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to KIN-2787 for use as a potential therapeutic option in patients with BRAF class II or III alteration–positive and/or NRAS mutation–positive, metastatic or unresectable, stage IIB to IV malignant melanoma.

The combination of fianlimab and cemiplimab demonstrated clinically meaningful activity in patients with advanced melanoma who were naïve to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

The European Commission has approved the fixed-dose combination of relatlimab plus nivolumab for use in the frontline treatment of select patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma and a PD-L1 expression of less than 1% on tumor cells.

Adjuvant nivolumab monotherapy elicited a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in recurrence-free survival compared with placebo for patients with completely resected stage IIB/C melanoma.

Cemiplimab produced pathologic complete responses as a neoadjuvant treatment in more than half of patients with resectable, stage II to IV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Compared with adjuvant pembrolizumab alone, the addition of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab significantly improved event-free survival outcomes for patients with stage III-IV melanoma with a hazard ratio of 0.58.

The investigational type II RAF inhibitor naporafenib exhibited favorable efficacy with a tolerable safety profile in combination with rineterkib, trametinib, or ribociclib in patients with previously treated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

Neoadjuvant talimogene laherparepvec plus surgery provided sustained, durable improvements in efficacy vs surgery alone in patients with resectable stage IIIB to IVM1a melanoma.

A tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy manufactured at various centers in the Netherlands Cancer Institute elicited a 50% reduction in the risk of progression or death vs ipilimumab in patients with stage IIIC/IV unresectable, treatment-refractory melanoma.

Immunotherapy in the form of ipilimumab plus nivolumab followed by the targeted therapy combination encorafenib plus binimetinib elicited an overall survival benefit in patients with untreated BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma, according to findings from the phase 2 SECOMBIT trial.

A rolling biologics license application has been submitted to the FDA seeking the approval of lifileucel in patients with advanced melanoma who progressed on or after previous anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and if BRAF mutation positive, also previous BRAF or BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy.

The addition of talimogene laherparepvec to pembrolizumab did not significantly improve progression-free survival or overall survival over pembrolizumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma.

The addition of atezolizumab to vemurafenib and cobimetinib produced promising intracranial activity in patients with BRAF V600–mutated advanced melanoma and central nervous system metastases.

Institutional Perspectives in Cancer: Melanoma, Chaired by Jeffrey Yorio, MD

Georgina V. Long, BSc, PhD, MBBS, FRACP, discusses evaluating pembrolizumab vs placebo in stage IIB or IIC melanoma.

Successful, established immunotherapies that have been approved for use in the metastatic setting are rapidly moving forward into the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, and novel agents are emerging in later lines.

Research investigating the physical and mental health consequences of being at the World Trade Center site during and after the terrorist attacks has been instrumental in obtaining health care coverage for thousands of individuals.

Omid Hamid, MD, and Ryan Sullivan, MD, discuss what they look forward to in the future of metastatic uveal melanoma treatment.

Rino S. Seedor, MD, discusses findings from the phase 3 DREAMseq trial, which solidified up-front immunotherapy followed by targeted therapy upon progression as a standard of care in patients with BRAF V600–mutant metastatic melanoma.

Experts highlight strategies for managing the adverse events of tebentafusp, especially cytokine release syndrome.

Dr Ryan Sullivan details clinical trial data presented at ASCO 2022 on the use of tebentafusp for mUM.

Cancer experts at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center: Annual Oncology Update shared important progress across a wide range of cancers — prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and more — that was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2022 Annual Meeting, the largest gathering of cancer clinicians and scientists in the United States.

Mario Sznol, MD, explains the evaluation of efficacy and safety when examining the benefits of new immunotherapy combinations in cancer.

Twelve years after key research into immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy first made a splash at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, evidence continues to mount that supports the durability of these agents in a range of cancers.

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended the approval of the fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab for the frontline treatment of adult and adolescents who are 12 years of age or older with advanced melanoma and a tumor cell PD-L1 expression of less than 1%.

Dr Omid Hamid explains the mechanism of action of recently approved tebentafusp for mUM, and why HLA testing is necessary for patients being considered for the treatment.

Ryan Sullivan, MD, provides an overview of metastatic uveal melanoma, currently available treatment options, and unmet needs in the field.

Drs Babakoohi and Atlas share clinical pearls for community oncologists on treating basal cell carcinoma.