Potential Use of FDG-PET Findings in Reducing Duration of Immunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Melanoma

Source: The ASCO Post, February 2022

In a Danish retrospective study reported in the International Journal of Cancer, Ellebaek et al found that patients with advanced melanoma responding to PD-1 inhibitor therapy who stopped treatment within 18 months had improved survival outcomes when fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18) positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans were negative at the time of stopping therapy. The findings suggest the possibility of early discontinuation of treatment in this setting based on FDG-PET findings.

As stated by the investigators, “Routine FDG-PET may help predict clinical outcomes after response to immunotherapy. With a European Medicines Agency–recommended treatment length until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, the optimal duration of immunotherapy remains to be defined.”