Pembrolizumab improves stage 3 melanoma outcomes

This study investigated the effectiveness of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in the treatment of patients with stage 3 melanoma who underwent surgery. Researchers suggested that this drug is associated with longer recurrence-free survival with no new side effects.

The use of PD-1 antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, in patients with high risk melanoma is rapidly increasing. This type of treatment has been shown to be associated with longer progression-free survival and overall survival in advanced melanoma patients. However, the effectiveness of pembrolizumab in patients with high risk of recurrence (when the cancer comes back) such as stage 3 melanoma patients.

This study investigated the effectiveness of pembrolizumab in treating stage 3 melanoma patients.

Melanoma patients were randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab (514 patients) or placebo (drug with no effect on the body; 505 patients) every 3 weeks for 1 year or until recurrence or significant side effects.

After an average follow-up of 15 months, 75.4% of patients treated with pembrolizumab were recurrence-free. This was compared to 61% of those treated with placebo. Patients treated with pembrolizumab had a 43% increase in the odds of a better recurrence-free survival when compared to the placebo group.

Severe negative side effects were seen in 14.7% of the patients treated with pembrolizumab and 3.4% in patients from the placebo group. These included fatigue, diarrhea, and joint pain. There was one death caused by myositis (loss of muscle function).

This study suggests that pembrolizumab improves recurrence-free survival in patients with stage 3 melanoma.

This study was supported by Merck, the producer of pembrolizumab.