Adjuvant therapy versus watch-and-wait post surgery for stage III melanoma: a multicountry retrospective chart review

• Published in: Melanoma management Vol. 6; no. 4; p. MMT33
• Main Authors: Mohr, Peter, Kiecker, Felix, Soriano, Virtudes, Dereure, Olivier, Mujika, Karmele, Saiag, Philippe, Utikal, Jochen, Koneru, Rama, Robert, Caroline, Cuadros, Florencia, Chacón, Matias, Villarroel, Rodrigo U, Najjar, Yana G, Kottschade, Lisa, Couselo, Eva M, Koruth, Roy, Guérin, Annie, Burne, Rebecca, Ionescu-Ittu, Raluca, Perrinjaquet, Maurice, Zager, Jonathan S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.12.2019; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: adjuvant therapy; Drug dosages; Food; Interferon; Melanoma; metastatic melanoma; nodal disease; Oncology; Patients; Skin cancer; stage III melanoma; Surgery; adjuvant therapy; melanoma; stage III melanoma; nodal disease; interferon; metastatic melanoma
• ISSN: 2045-0885; 2045-0893
• DOI: 10.2217/mmt-2019-0015

To describe treatment patterns among patients with stage III melanoma who underwent surgical excision in years 2011–2016, and assess outcomes among patients who subsequently received systemic adjuvant therapy versus watch-and-wait. Chart review of 380 patients from 17 melanoma centers in North America, South America and Europe. Of 129 (34%) patients treated with adjuvant therapy, 85% received interferon α-2b and 56% discontinued treatment (mostly due to adverse events). Relapse-free survival was significantly longer for patients treated with adjuvant therapy versus watch-and-wait (hazard ratio = 0.63; p < 0.05). There was considerable heterogeneity in adjuvant treatment schedules and doses. Similar results were found in patients who received interferon-based adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapies with better safety/efficacy profiles will improve clinical outcomes in patients with stage III melanoma.