80 percent of adult patients with stage III\/IV resectable melanoma remained event-free at four years from the start of neoadjuvant systemic treatment<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) followed by adjuvant treatment with nivolumab and relatlimab offers long-term benefit in adults with stage III\/IV resectable melanoma, according to a study published online July 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Elizabeth M. Burton, Ph.D., from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues present updated clinical follow-up data (median 47 months) for adult patients with stage III\/IV, surgically resectable melanoma in a phase II clinical trial of NST (nivolumab 480 mg + relatlimab 160 mg intravenously once every four weeks for two cycles before surgery) followed by adjuvant treatment with nivolumab and relatlimab (up to 10 doses after surgery).<\/p>\n The researchers found that 80 percent of patients remained event-free at four years from the start of NST, including 95 percent who achieved a major pathologic response (\u226410 percent viable tumor). Baseline upregulation of several immune modulatory pathways was associated with major pathologic response; there was an association seen for increased B7-H3 expression with resistance.<\/p>\n “If immunotherapy eliminates most of the tumor before surgery, then we have sufficiently trained the immune system for an antitumor response, which minimizes the possibility of recurrence,” Burton said in a statement. “We are encouraged by these results showing the long-term benefit of this combination and approach for our patients and the opportunity it provides to learn as much as possible about what is driving this response to treatment.”<\/p>\n