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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Evaluating the safety and efficacy of anti–PD-1 therapy in children and adolescents with melanoma was the primary focus of the MELCAYA study, explained Mario Mandalà, MD, of the University of Perugia, Italy, and colleagues. According to the results of this study, which were published in the European Journal of Cancer, anti–PD-1 management is recommended for this patient population.
“It is important to convey the message to clinicians and regulatory authorities that children and adolescent patients can achieve long-term favorable outcomes with an anti–PD-1 therapy even in advanced disease, particularly with first-line treatment,” suggested the study authors.
From 2016 to 2024, a total of 106 children and adolescents with stage III and IV melanoma were recruited for the study. Approximately half of the entire study population were female, and the primary site of the skin cancer was the trunk in about one-third. All patients were previously treated with anti–PD-1 therapy. Demographic data were collected from all patients to compare clinical outcomes, disease progression, and response to treatment.
The study findings revealed that 56 patients received systemic anti–PD-1–based therapy for their advanced disease either as first-line (n = 43), second-line (n = 12), or third-line (n = 5) treatment. Of the 43 patients treated with anti–PD-1 therapy in the first-line setting, the 3-year overall survival rate was 34%, and the objective response rate was 25%. Additionally, two patients received neoadjuvant anti–PD-1 therapy and achieved a complete pathologic response. Furthermore, analyses performed on the 38 patients treated with adjuvant anti–PD-1 therapy revealed the 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 81.1% and 70.6%, respectively.
“In the context of independent, academic research, our study provides the first evidence of efficacy of anti–PD-1 in children and adolescent melanoma patients, both in [the] adjuvant and first-line metastatic settings,” the investigators concluded.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
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