Adjuvant Anti-PD-1 Antibody Therapy for Advanced Melanoma: A Multicentre Study of 78 Japanese Cases

Yusuke Muto, Yumi Kambayashi, Hiroshi Kato, Satoshi Fukushima, Takamichi Ito, Takeo Maekawa, Yasuhiro Fujisawa, Koji Yoshino, Uchi Hiroshi, Shigeto Matsushita, Yuki Yamamoto, Ryo Amagai, Kentaro Ohuchi, Akira Hashimoto, Taku Fujimura

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2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Anti-PD-1 antibodies (Abs) are among the optimal adjuvant therapies for melanoma at high risk of recurrence, especially BRAF wild-type melanoma, but the anti-tumour effects of anti-PD-1 Abs in the adjuvant setting for acral melanoma have not been evaluated previously. The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy and safety profiles of anti-PD-1 Ab monotherapy in the adjuvant setting in an Asian population including a high ratio of acral melanoma. The efficacy and safety profiles of anti-PD-1 Ab monotherapy in the adjuvant setting were retrospectively analysed in 78 Japanese patients with advanced melanoma, including 31 cases (40%) of acral melanoma. Overall relapse-free survival was 60.3% (47 of 78 cases, 95% confidence interval (CI) 49.2–70.4%), and 39.7% of patients (31 of 78 patients, 95% CI 29.6–50.8%) relapsed during the adjuvant PD-1 Ab treatment. Six cases (7.9%) discontinued the protocol due to serious adverse events. One case (1.3%) discontinued the protocol due to trauma. The relapse-free survival of acral melanoma was 25.8%, whereas that of high cumulative sun damage was 60.0%, and that of low cumulative sun damage was 57.1%. The acral type had a significantly lower 12-month relapse-free survival than other cutaneous types (p = 0.029). The acral type appeared to be an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis (p = 0.015). Adverse events due to anti-PD-1 antibody were observed in 37.1% overall. The results of this study suggest that anti-PD-1 Ab therapy in the adjuvant setting is less effective for acral melanoma than for other cutaneous types.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberadv00756
JournalActa dermato-venereologica
Volume102
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Dermatology

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