Clinical outcomes and management following progressive disease with anti-PD-(L)1 therapy in patients with advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Abstract Aim: Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a rare skin cancer with a rising incidence worldwide. Anti-programmed death-1/ligand-1 (anti-PD-(L)1) therapies are effective for the treatment of advanced MCC. This study examines patterns of response / progression of advanced MCC to anti-PD-(L)1 therapies and describes subsequent management. Method: This is a multi-centre international retrospective cohort study with data collected up to May 2023 from 17 centres across 6 countries. Outcomes included objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) for anti-PD-(L)1 and subsequent therapy. Results: One-hundred and eighty-five advanced MCC patients received anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. At median [...]

February 25th, 2025|Tags: , , , , , |Comments Off on Clinical outcomes and management following progressive disease with anti-PD-(L)1 therapy in patients with advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of invasive melanoma: A systematic review with meta-analyses.

Abstract Background: The use of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) in melanoma treatment has divided opinion and evidence-based guidelines are lacking. Objectives: This systematic review aimed to analyse clinical outcomes for patients with invasive melanomas treated with Mohs rather than wide local excision (WLE). Methods: Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases (to 30 August 2023) were searched for studies using Mohs to treat invasive melanoma. Outcomes of interest were local recurrence and death from melanoma. Results: Thirty-five articles involving 41,499 patients with invasive melanoma treated with Mohs were identified. Sixteen studies compared Mohs with WLE and 19 were Mohs-only, non-comparative studies. Patients treated with Mohs [...]

February 1st, 2025|Comments Off on Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of invasive melanoma: A systematic review with meta-analyses.

Long-term survival across Breslow thickness categories: findings from a population-based study of 210 042 Australian melanoma patients.

Abstract The prognosis of a patient with a primary cutaneous melanoma is known to be related to the Breslow thickness of their tumor. This study sought to determine long-term (30-year) survival rates for the 4 American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition T categories by analyzing Australian registry data for 210 042 melanoma patients diagnosed from 1982 to 2014. The 30-year incidence rates of death due to melanoma and nonmelanoma (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 7.1% (95% CI = 6.9% to 7.3%) and 32.8% (95% CI = 32.3% to 33.3%), respectively. For T2 melanomas, the corresponding rates were [...]

January 1st, 2025|Comments Off on Long-term survival across Breslow thickness categories: findings from a population-based study of 210 042 Australian melanoma patients.

Risk of Death Due to Melanoma and Other Causes in Patients With Thin Cutaneous Melanomas.

Abstract Importance: Most patients who present with primary cutaneous melanomas have thin tumors (≤1.0 mm in Breslow thickness, ie, pT1a and pT1b). Although their prognosis is generally considered to be excellent, there is limited precise information on the association of risk of death with specific Breslow measurements in thin lesions. Objective: To assess the relative effect of a 0.8-mm Breslow thickness threshold with respect to the incidence of both melanoma-related and nonmelanoma-related death. Design, setting, and participants: Registry data for all Australians diagnosed with thin invasive primary melanomas between 1982 and 2014 were analyzed. Data were extracted from all 8 Australian state [...]

December 11th, 2024|Comments Off on Risk of Death Due to Melanoma and Other Causes in Patients With Thin Cutaneous Melanomas.

Clinical significance of intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal sentinel lymph nodes detected on lymphoscintigraphy in truncal melanoma patients.

Abstract Background: Although most melanomas drain to the more common major lymph node basins (axilla, groin, neck), rarely they drain to deep SLN locations such as intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic (including intercostal and internal mammary) sites, which pose a higher surgical risk and complexity for procurement. Our study is aimed at determining the rate of positivity and likelihood of recurrence in these nodal sites to guide management decisions for patients with truncal melanomas which drain to these 'deep' SLN locations. Methods: Retrospective data collected between May 2008 and May 2022 including all patients with truncal melanomas who underwent lymphoscintigraphy resulting in the [...]

December 9th, 2024|Comments Off on Clinical significance of intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal sentinel lymph nodes detected on lymphoscintigraphy in truncal melanoma patients.

Short-Term Effectiveness of a Stepped-Care Model to Address Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early-Stage Melanoma.

Abstract Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the Melanoma Care Programme when implemented into routine clinical practice coupled with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) screening and a stepped-care model of intervention delivery. Methods: Using a Type-I hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, individuals with stage 0-II melanoma and a Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory FCR severity score of ≥ 13 were offered the Melanoma Care Programme. The programme included a psychoeducational booklet and 3 to 5 psychotherapeutic telehealth sessions with a clinical psychologist, timed around routine dermatological appointments. Multivariable linear mixed modelling was used to analyse the effect of the intervention at 1-week post-intervention [...]

December 1st, 2024|Tags: , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Short-Term Effectiveness of a Stepped-Care Model to Address Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early-Stage Melanoma.

Patient and Staff Experiences of Embedding Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Distress Screening and Quality of Life Assessment, Into Routine Melanoma Care: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Abstract Objective: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are commonly collected in melanoma research. However, they are not used to guide immediate clinical care in Australia. This study explored the views and experiences of patients with Stage III melanoma and clinic staff during implementation of an electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in melanoma (ePROMs-MEL) pilot to assess distress and quality of life. Methods: A prospective mixed-methods study in specialist melanoma clinics in Sydney, Australia between May 2021 and February 2023. Forty-two post-ePROMs implementation surveys and 17 semi-structured interviews were undertaken among patients and staff (including oncologists, melanoma nurses and clinic managers). Survey responses [...]

December 1st, 2024|Tags: , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Patient and Staff Experiences of Embedding Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Distress Screening and Quality of Life Assessment, Into Routine Melanoma Care: A Mixed-Methods Study.
Go to Top