Dirk Schadendorf, MD, head of department for Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Germany, discusses sequencing agents in melanoma.

Schadendorf says that it is currently unclear whether administering combination therapy upfront or beginning with targeted therapy and maintaining response by using a checkpoint blockade is more beneficial. There are ongoing clinical trials evaluating these strategies, but there is a waiting period.

Videos

Dirk Schadendorf, MD, head of department for Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Germany, discusses sequencing agents in melanoma.
 

Dr. Schadendorf Discusses Sequencing Agents in Melanoma

Dirk Schadendorf, MD, head of department for Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Germany, discusses the efficacy of combining targeted therapy with checkpoint inhibitors for patients with melanoma.

There has been great progress in treating advanced melanoma, states Schadendorf. Checkpoint blockade has made contributions, giving long duration of responses and a median overall survivial of 3 years.

View more from the World Congress of Melanoma

Dr. Schadendorf on the Efficacy of Targeted Therapy Plus Checkpoint Inhibitors

Dirk Schadendorf, MD, Head of Department for Dermatology, Venerology und Allergology, University Hospital Essen, Germany, discusses the results from the phase III CheckMate 067 study, which looked at a combination immunotherapy regimen in advanced melanoma.

The study has three arms: nivolumab alone, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, and ipilimumab alone. The primary endpoint of the trial is progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results from data published so far are astonishing, says Schadendorf. There is a clear separation in tumor control between the three arms. In the ipilimumab alone arm PFS is 2.5 months, in the nivolumab alone arm PFS is slightly more than 6 months, and in the combination arm there is close to 12 months PFS observed, says Schadendorf.

Whether this translates to an overall survival benefit is yet to be seen, but the results so far are promising, says Schadendorf.

Dirk Schadendorf, MD

Articles

Dr. Schadendorf Discusses Sequencing Agents in Melanoma

Dr. Schadendorf on the Efficacy of Targeted Therapy Plus Checkpoint Inhibitors

Dr. Schadendorf on Nivolumab/ Ipilimumab Combination Trial in Melanoma