Patients in CheckMate 067 Demonstrate Durable Complete Responses

Georgina V. Long, BSc, PhD, MBBS, co-medical director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, discusses the response rates in the CheckMate 067 trial (NCT01844505), which evaluated the combination of ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) in patients with advanced melanoma.

Of the patients who had a complete response (CR) with the combination, 80% remained in CR at 5 years. Similarly, 79% who were in CR on nivolumab plus placebo had not progressed at the 5-year mark. Long says they investigated the 20% of patients who had progressed after a CR and saw features associated with overall prognosis.

Features associated with poor prognosis were patients with M1C melanoma, which is disease that has spread to other organ sites; patients with non-cutaneous melanoma; or patients with acral lentiginous melanoma. These patients were more likely to progress after CR, although it was a small number of patients.

The investigators are also looking at whether stopping therapy early or the use of corticosteroids for toxicity affected whether patients progressed after having a CR. Long believes there may be a relationship with the use of corticosteroids and/or the duration of treatment and how well patients maintain CR.

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