Dr. Eggermont on Responses to Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Stage III Melanoma Subtypes

Alexander M. M. Eggermont, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, University of Paris-Sud, professor of oncological surgery, chair, International Research Network on Cancer, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Joseph Maisin Honorary Chair of Oncological Surgery, Louvain Catholic University, discusses responses to adjuvant pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with different subtypes of stage III melanoma.

Within stage III melanoma, there is stage IIIA disease, which encompasses microscopic lymph node involvement, IIIB disease, and IIIC disease, says Eggermont.

In updated findings from the phase 3 EORTC 1325-MG/KEYNOTE-054 trial, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed consistently better rates of recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared with placebo across stage III subtypes, explains Eggermont. Moreover, at a 3-year median follow-up, the hazard ratios with pembrolizumab were 0.50 in stage IIIA disease, 0.56 in IIIB disease, and 0.57 in IIIC disease. Additionally, RFS rates were 81.2%, 65.7%, and 54.3%, respectively.

These findings add to the discussion of whether pembrolizumab should be considered for patients with stage IIIA disease, concludes Eggermont.