Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
Nivolumab boosts survival over chemo for advanced melanoma
Ascierto PA et al. JAMA Oncol. 2018 Oct 25. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4514
Key clinical point: For previously untreated patients with BRAF wild-type advanced melanoma, the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab dramatically improved overall survival, compared with standard first-line chemotherapy.
Major finding: The 3-year overall survival rate for patients treated with nivolumab was 51.2%, compared with 21.6% for those who received dacarbazine.
Study details: CheckMate 066 is an ongoing, phase 3, double-blind trial involving 418 patients with BRAF wild-type advanced melanoma.
Disclosures: The study was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The authors reported financial relationships with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche/Genentech, Novartis, Amgen, and others.
Ascierto PA et al. JAMA Oncol. 2018 Oct 25. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4514.