Dr. Weber on Nivolumab Versus Chemotherapy in Advanced Melanoma

Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the results of a phase III randomized, open-label study of nivolumab compared with investigator's choice chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma after prior anti-CTLA-4 therapy.

There was a clear advantage to nivolumab in this study. On the trial, 32% of patients treated with nivolumab responded (RECIST 1.1) compared with 11% of those treated with chemotherapy.

Toxicities between the arms were very different, Weber says. Patients treated with chemotherapy experienced toxicity to the bone marrow and high levels of fatigue. In total, 9% of patients on the nivolumab arm experienced grade 3/4 toxicities compared with 31% of patients treated with chemotherapy.

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