Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Resectable Melanoma
Source: Onc Live, January 2023
Anna C. Pavlick, DO, professor of medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, founding director, the Cutaneous Oncology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, discusses the potential benefit of neoadjuvant immunotherapy prior to surgical resection, according to results from the phase 2 SWOG S1801 trial (NCT03698019).
The randomized trial assessed the administration of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in the neoadjuvant setting, as well as in the adjuvant setting for patients with clinically detectable and resectable stage IIIB/IV melanoma.
Eligible patients enrolled on the trial were assigned to either the neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment arm. Patients on the adjuvant treatment arm underwent surgery followed by 18 cycles of pembrolizumab. Patients on the neoadjuvant arm received 3 cycles of pembrolizumab, followed by surgery, and then 15 additional cycles of pembrolizumab. Additionally, patients receiving neoadjuvant pembrolizumab were required to undergo surgery regardless of response to the treatment.