Melanoma

EORTC research in this field has showed that sentinel node tumour burden according to the Rotterdam Criteria and the microanatomic location were the most important prognostic factors for melanoma-specific survival and non-sentinel node positivity in the completion lymph node dissection specimen. Based on this work, nowadays sentinel node tumor burden ≥ 1 mm is considered high risk and used for inclusion in adjuvant therapy trials.

EORTC studies also showed that the interferon-a adjuvant targeted therapy should be given to in a targeted patient population, and should probably not be offered to 70% of the patients that are currently being given this treatment.

Thanks to EORTC trial 18991, the United States Federal Drug Agency (US FDA) approved Sylatron™, pegylated interferon a-2b, for the treatment of melanoma patients with microscopic or gross nodal involvement within 84 days of definitive surgical resection including complete lymphadenectomy. &

EORTC trial 18071 demonstrated that ipilimumab as an adjuvant therapy not only improved relapse-free survival but also prolonged distant metastasis-free survival and overall survival in patients with high-risk stage III melanoma. The US FDA approved adjuvant Yervoy in melanoma based on these results. &