Does Dabrafenib-Trametinib Improve Overall Survival in Melanoma?
Source: Medscape, July 2024
In patients with resected stage III melanoma, adjuvant therapy with dabrafenib plus trametinib reduces the risk for death by 20% compared with placebo, though the overall survival benefit does not reach statistical significance. The combination lowers the risk for death by a greater degree — 25% — in patients with a BRAF V600E mutation.
METHODOLOGY:
- The combination of BRAF-targeted dabrafenib and the MEK inhibitor trametinib has become a standard treatment in the adjuvant setting for patients with BRAF V600–mutated stage III melanoma.
- Interim results from the phase 3 COMBI-AD trial found that the combination improved recurrence-free survival in this patient population compared with placebo.
- In the final analysis of the COMBI-AD trial, researchers assessed overall survival and other survival metrics after more than 8 years of follow-up.
- This trial randomized 870 patients with resected stage III melanoma with BRAF V600 mutations to 150 mg twice daily dabrafenib plus 2 mg once daily trametinib or placebo for 12 months.
The median duration of follow-up was 8.33 years for the combination therapy and 6.87 years for placebo.