In Stage III Melanoma, Immunotherapy Combo Before Surgery Leads to Improved Survival, Less Therapy
Source: AJMC, June 2024
The idea that patients could get better responses with shorter courses of therapy runs counter to the current standard of care in melanoma.
Giving patients with resectable stage III melanoma a combination of ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) followed by surgery—and tailoring treatment after surgery to each patient’s response—led to dramatic improvements in event-free survival (EFS), according to results presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
The phase 3 NADINA trial (NCT04949113) represents the fruits of a decade-old idea and follow-up on results seen in smaller studies. Of note, a phase 2 study of pembrolizumab showed patients who had 3 neoadjuvant cycles before 15 adjuvant cycles had better EFS than those who received 18 adjuvant cycles. Ipilimumab and nivolumab are both made by Bristol Myers Squibb, which was among the study’s sponsors.