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Aim: A survival benefit was demonstrated by dabrafenib + trametinib for metastatic BRAF-mutated melanoma patients. Best response is a strong prognostic marker for survival. Patients & methods: The specific features associated with complete response (CR) were evaluated. Results: A total of 15/66 patients achieved CR. Median size of lesions was 3 cm (range: 0.5–10). Using that value as cut-off, the CR rate was 39.3% in patients with smaller lesions and 10.5% in patients with bigger size (p = 0.006). The clinical features associated with CR were the number of metastatic sites and the largest diameter of the biggest metastatic site. Conclusion: The number of the metastases and the diameter of the largest metastatic site are associated with a higher CR rate.

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In the last years the onset of new therapies changed the management of malignant melanoma. Anti CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab was the first drug to achieve a significant improvement in survival of advanced stage melanoma. This new therapeutic agent is characterized by a number of side effects that are totally different from those of traditional chemotherapy, mainly caused by the immune system activation. The purpose of this paper is to underline the central role of ipilimumab in the treatment of metastatic melanoma and to characterize related adverse events in terms of incidence, duration and severity of presentation. The early recognition of these side effects is crucial in order to ensure an appropriate management of the toxicities, thus reducing the long term clinical sequelae and the inappropriate treatment discontinuation.

Background Advanced-stage mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sezary syndrome (SS) patients are weighted by an unfavorable prognosis and share an unmet clinical need of effective treatments. International guidelines are available detailing treatment options for the different stages but without recommending treatments in any particular order due to lack of comparative trials. The aims of this second CLIC study were to retrospectively analyze the pattern of care worldwide for advanced-stage MF/SS patients, the distribution of treatments according to geographical areas (USA versus non-USA), and whether the heterogeneity of approaches has potential impact on survival. Patients and methods This study included 853 patients from 21 specialist centers (14 European, 4 USA, 1 each Australian, Brazilian, and Japanese). Results Heterogeneity of treatment approaches was found, with up to 24 different modalities or combinations used as first-line and 36% of patients receiving four or more treatments. Stage IIB disease was most frequently treated by total-skin-electron-beam radiotherapy, bexarotene and gemcitabine; erythrodermic and SS patients by extracorporeal photochemotherapy, and stage IVA2 by polychemotherapy. Significant differences were found between USA and non-USA centers, with bexarotene, photopheresis and histone deacetylase inhibitors most frequently prescribed for first-line treatment in USA while phototherapy, interferon, chlorambucil and gemcitabine in non-USA centers. These differences did not significantly impact on survival. However, when considering death and therapy change as competing risk events and the impact of first treatment line on both events, both monochemotherapy (SHR = 2.07) and polychemotherapy (SHR = 1.69) showed elevated relative risks. Conclusion This large multicenter retrospective study shows that there exist a large treatment heterogeneity in advanced MF/SS and differences between USA and non-USA centers but these were not related to survival, while our data reveal that chemotherapy as first treatment is associated with a higher risk of death and/or change of therapy and thus other therapeutic options should be preferable as first treatment approach.

The prognosis of stage IV metastatic melanoma is poor. An overall 1-year survival of 25.5% and a median survival of 6.2 months were reported without any significant improvement during the last 30 years before the introduction of new drugs (immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies) which completely modified the therapeutic approach and induced an overwhelming improvement on the survival rates of these patients. This review will analyze the therapeutic tools available for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma, including adjuvant interferon and locoregional therapies (surgery, radiotherapy and electrochemotherapy) and will mainly focus on the presentation of results obtained by the new treatments (checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies).

Background Ipilimumab (Ip) is an option in Metastatic Melanoma (MM) patients (pt) in case of disease progression after antiPD1 (AP) treatment and BRAF+MEK inhibitors (BMi) administration (for BRAF mutated melanoma). Clinical trial are evaluating potential Ip-based combinations in 2nd/3rd line setting. Many studies underline the role of some parameters (as LDH, ECOG PS, Neutrophile/Leucocyte ratio) as progostic factors for immunotherapy used in first-line. We evaluate the prognostic role of some relevant clinical or laboratoristic parameters for Ip used in late line after AP, Bmi, in order to define pt that benefit most from Ip monotherapy in this setting. Methods A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in 8 Italian Oncology Centers, evaluating MM pt treated with Ip after AP and/or BMi. Endpoints were OS and PFS, Kaplan Mayer and Cox regression were applied for survival analysis. Results Among 200 pt that received AP or Bmi, 48 were eligible for Ip administration in 2nd/3rd line. Before Ip treatment, ECOG PS was 0 in 21 pt, number of metastatic sites was less then 3 in 14 pt, LDH was within normal range in 19 pt, NLR ratio (= baseline neutrophils/total leukocytes) was less then 0.7 in 28 pt: in univariate analysis, only ECOG PS and NLR resulted significantly associated with better PFS and OS. For pt with ECOG PS 0 or 1 medianPFS was 3.2, 2.3 month respectively (p value 0.0066; HR 0.377 IC95% 0.186-0.762), median OS was 12.1, 4.0 respectively (p value 0.0016 HR 0.287 IC95% 0.132-0.622). For pt with NLR 0,7 medianPFS was 3.2, 2.0 month respectively (p value 0.002 HR 0.241 IC95% 0.0978-0.593), median OS was 7.63, 2.67 respectively (p value 0.0037 HR 0.251 IC95% 0.0986-0.0637) A score was counted for each pt considering the number of favorable basal factors present (ECOG PS 0, NLR Conclusions ECOG PS 0, NLR Legal entity responsible for the study Italian Melanoma Intergroup. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure R. Marconcini: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Novartis; Honoraria (self), Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: La Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: MSD; Honoraria (self), Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: BMS; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Incyte; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Ipsen. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background Multiple primary melanoma (MPM), in concert with a positive family history, is a predictor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor 2A ( CDKN2A ) germline mutations. A rule regarding the presence of either 2 or 3 or more cancer events (melanoma and pancreatic cancer) in low or high melanoma incidence populations, respectively, has been established to select patients for genetic referral. Objective We sought to determine the CDKN2A / CDK4 /microphthalmia-associated transcription factor mutation rate among Italian patients with MPM to appropriately direct genetic counseling regardless of family history. Methods In all, 587 patients with MPM and an equal number with single primary melanomas and control subjects were consecutively enrolled at the participating centers and tested for CDKN2A , CDK4 , and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Results CDKN2A germline mutations were found in 19% of patients with MPM versus 4.4% of patients with single primary melanoma. In familial MPM cases the mutation rate varied from 36.6% to 58.8%, whereas in sporadic MPM cases it varied from 8.2% to 17.6% in patients with 2 and 3 or more melanomas, respectively. The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor E318K mutation accounted for 3% of MPM cases altogether. Limitations The study was hospital based, not population based. Rare novel susceptibility genes were not tested. Conclusion Italian patients who developed 2 melanomas, even in situ, should be referred for genetic counseling even in the absence of family history.

Introduction The therapeutic landscape of metastatic melanoma drastically changed after the introduction of targeted therapies and immunotherapy, in particular immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICI). In recent years, positive effects on the immune system associated to radiotherapy (RT) were discovered, and radiation has been tested in combination with ICI in both pre-clinical and clinical studies (many of them still ongoing). We here summarize the rationale and the preliminary clinical results of this approach. Materials and methods In the first part of this review article, redacted with narrative non-systematic methodology, we describe the clinical results of immune checkpoints blockade in melanoma as well as the biological basis for the combination of ICI with RT; in the second part, we systematically review scientific publications reporting on the clinical results of the combination of ICI and RT for advanced melanoma. Results The biological and mechanistic rationale behind the combination of ICI and radiation is well supported by several preclinical findings. Retrospective observational series and few prospective trials support the potential synergistic effect between radiation and ICI for metastatic melanoma. Conclusion RT may potentiate anti-melanoma activity of ICI by enhancing response on both target and non-target lesions. Several prospective trials are ongoing with the aim of further exploring this combination in the clinical setting, hopefully confirming initial observations and opening a new therapeutic window for advanced melanoma patients.

The purpose of this study was to set up a prognostic model for the identification of survival predictors specific for melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab.The following prospectively collected data were utilised: patient and primary tumour characteristics, relapse-free-interval, site and number of metastases, previous therapies and level of serum biomarkers (lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein, β2-microglobulin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), IL2, IL6, S-100, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), transaminases, leucocyte count, lymphocytes subpopulations). A multivariate prognostic model was developed using the Cox regression model fitted to the data of 113 consecutive metastatic patients treated with ipilimumab (3 mg/kg, q3w) at Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV). External validation was obtained using the data of 69 and 34 patients treated at European Oncology Institute (IEO) and University of Torino (UT), respectively.Median survival was 8.3, 4.9 and 7.1 months from first ipilimumab administration at IOV, IEO and UT, respectively. Both higher baseline levels of LDH (Hazard Ratio [HR] v=1.36, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.16-1.58, P.001) and neutrophils (HR=1.76, 95% CI 1.41-2.10, P.001) were associated with worse prognosis. Model performance was satisfactory both upon internal validation (Dxy=0.42) and external validation (Dxy=0.40). Serum LDH and neutrophil count discriminated patients who lived more (low neutrophils and low LDH) or less (high LDH or neutrophils) than 24 months.Serum LDH and neutrophil count were significant independent prognostic factors. This externally validated prognostic nomogram, could help clinicians to identify the patients who would benefit most from ipilimumab and consequently to improve resource allocation. These easily available biomarkers deserve further validation.

Summary Background The prognostic significance of regression in primary melanoma has been debated over the past few years. Once it was considered to be a negative prognostic factor, as it may have prevented proper melanoma thickness measurement, therefore affecting the staging of the tumours. For this reason, it was considered to be an indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in melanoma

e20060 Background: Metastatic melanoma (MM) usually has a dismal prognosis and its treatment options have been deluding for long time: until recently, systemic therapies were limited, with poor res...