Dr. Patel on Adjuvant Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Regimens in Stage IV Melanoma

Sapna Patel, MD, medical oncologist, associate professor, director of the Uveal Melanoma Program and Melanoma Fellowship Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the evaluation of adjuvant nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) in stage IV metastatic melanoma with no evidence of disease [NED].

The phase 2 IMMUNED trial (NCT02523313) aims to evaluate the clinical benefit of adjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab alone or plus ipilimumab as a postsurgical treatment for patients with NED, Patel explains.

The trial randomly assigned patients to receive nivolumab plus placebo or nivolumab plus ipilimumab vs double placebo, Patel continues. The trial demonstrated an improvement in recurrence-free survival in patients who received adjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab vs nivolumab and placebo, Patel states.

A 2-year nivolumab and ipilimumab regimen should be considered for patients who have no evidence of disease after resection or receive radiation for their lesion within 8 weeks of showing no evidence of disease, Patel explains. Moreover, adjuvant nivolumab/ipilimumab should also be considered for patients with BRAF-mutated disease, Patel concludes.