Treatment With Dabrafenib, Trametinib Demonstrates High Relapse-free Survival Rate in Melanoma Patients

Source: Pharmacy Times, September 2020

More than half of high-risk patients with resected, stage III BRAF V600-mutated melanoma who were treated with dabrafenib (Tafinlar, Novartis) and trametinib (Mekinist, Novartis) were alive and relapse-free at 5 years, according to a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Each year, more than 285,000 cases of melanoma are diagnosed globally, with approximately half having a BRAF mutation. Following surgical treatment for stage III melanoma, patients may have a risk of recurrence because melanoma cells could still be present in the body.

Additionally, the authors noted that allowing high-risk patients with stage III melanoma to be relapse-free at 5 years is significant due to the disease often causing relapses in that 5-year period.

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