The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)–American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) Cancer Research Group announced that its researchers have been awarded the 2023 Paper of the Year distinction from the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). The recognition comes after researchers reported positive findings from a novel treatment sequence in patients with BRAF V600–mutated advanced melanoma. In the phase III DREAMseq clinical trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab followed by targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib if they experienced disease progression, or a treatment sequence beginning with targeted therapy. Patients who received targeted therapy as a first-line treatment had an overall survival rate of 52%, vs a 72% rate in the patients who received immunotherapy as first-line treatment—a 20% absolute improvement. The researchers emphasized that their findings may help guide physicians in the treatment selection process for this patient population. They plan to use biomarkers to identify patients who may benefit most from first-line targeted therapy or alternative therapies in future studies. “The optimal sequence of … first-line treatment for patients with BRAF V600–mutated metastatic melanoma has represented a major therapeutic challenge. This study addresses this issue … by showing that immunotherapy should precede targeted therapy as first-line treatment,” concluded Gary K. Schwartz, MD, JCO Associate Editor.
January 31, 2024