Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Stage IIB or IIC Melanoma

Is prior adjuvant pembrolizumab associated with the risk of developing subsequent cutaneous malignant neoplasms in patients with high-risk stage II melanoma?In this secondary analysis of 976 participants in the randomized, double-blind, phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 study, the incidence of new primary melanoma was similar between participants treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab and placebo, whereas nonmelanoma skin cancers were more common with placebo. The study also found that the recurrence-free survival benefit associated with pembrolizumab remained after accounting for new primary melanomas, and immune-mediated severe skin reactions occurred infrequently and were manageable.These findings suggest that patients with resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma are at risk of developing new skin cancers, supporting the use of adjuvant pembrolizumab for high-risk stage II melanoma.

Corresponding Author: Sancy A. Leachman, MD, PhD, School of Medicine, Oregon Health sancy.leachman@hsc.utah.edu).

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