A European project led by IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic Barcelona studies the efficacy of immunotherapy for childhood melanoma for the first time
Source: Clinic Barcelona, December 2024
Conducted as part of the MELCAYA project, the study demonstrates that anti PD-1 antibody immunotherapy is safe for children and adolescents. Furthermore, whilst it is effective for patients who have previously had their tumour removed, its effectiveness is diminished in more advanced cases, where metastasis has already spread to other organs.
Melanoma (or skin cancer) is a very rare disease among children and adolescents, with 1.5 cases per million. This low incidence has meant that there are no specific studies for children and adolescents and paediatric patients are managed by extrapolating from protocols for adults.
Now the European MELCAYA project, led by IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic Barcelona, has conducted the first study focused on children and adolescents, showing that anti PD-1 antibody immunotherapy, one of the standard treatments for melanoma in adults, is effective and safe for the paediatric population.