Melanoma
If it’s your first time on this website, please read the disclaimer section.
Jun 01 – Jun 08, 2026
Intismeran Autogene Plus Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone in High-Risk Resected Melanoma: 5-Year Update of the Randomized Phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 Study.
J CLIN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #6/326TOP-TIER
This phase 2b randomized study evaluated the 5-year efficacy of intismeran, an individualized mRNA neoantigen therapy, combined with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone in 157 patients with resected high-risk melanoma. The combination therapy significantly prolonged recurrence-free survival (HR 0.510; 95% CI, 0.294–0.887) and distant metastasis-free survival (HR 0.411; 95% CI, 0.200–0.843) compared to monotherapy. These findings demonstrate sustained clinical benefit and a manageable safety profile, supported by increased T-cell receptor clonality in the combination arm. For clinicians, this suggests that personalized mRNA vaccines may provide durable long-term protection against recurrence in advanced melanoma patients.
10.1200/JCO-26-00835
International disruptions to cancer diagnosis and stage at presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: an International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) population-based study.
LANCET ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #8/326TOP-TIER
This population-based study analyzed 2.6 million patients across seven countries to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the incidence and staging of seven major cancer types in 2020. Researchers found that 16% (55,713) of expected cancer cases were missing between April and December 2020, with the highest deficits occurring in prostate (24%), breast (18%), and melanoma (18%) diagnoses. The data reveals significant regional variations, such as a 54% deficit in UK prostate cancer cases, highlighting critical gaps in screening and diagnostic access during lockdowns. These findings underscore a pressing clinical need to address diagnostic backlogs and monitor for potential stage shifts in patients whose diagnoses were delayed by pandemic-related healthcare barriers.
10.1016/S1470-2045(26)00089-6
May 18 – May 25, 2026
Five-Year Survival with Tebentafusp in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma.
ANN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/326TOP-TIER
This phase 3 trial evaluated the five-year overall survival of HLA-A*02:01-positive patients with metastatic uveal melanoma treated with tebentafusp compared to investigator’s choice of therapy. Tebentafusp significantly improved median overall survival to 21.6 months versus 16.9 months in the control group (HR 0.67), with a five-year survival rate of 16% compared to 8%. Survival benefits persisted across poor-prognosis subgroups and in patients treated beyond radiographic progression, while ctDNA reductions ≥50% by week 9 strongly correlated with improved outcomes. These findings solidify tebentafusp as the standard of care for this population, demonstrating durable long-term efficacy in a historically difficult-to-treat malignancy.
10.1016/j.annonc.2026.05.695
Apr 20 – Apr 27, 2026
IO102-IO103 immune-modulatory cancer vaccine and pembrolizumab in melanoma.
ANN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/326TOP-TIER
This Phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy of the IO102-IO103 immune-modulatory vaccine combined with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy in 407 patients with untreated advanced melanoma. The combination arm achieved a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 19.4 months compared to 11.0 months for monotherapy (HR 0.77; P=0.0558), though it narrowly missed the predefined statistical significance threshold. Notable benefits were observed in PD-L1-negative patients (16.6 vs. 3.0 months PFS) and anti-PD-1 naïve patients, with no significant increase in grade ≥3 adverse events (14.5% vs. 15.6%). While the primary endpoint was not statistically met, the favorable safety profile and clinically meaningful PFS improvements in specific subgroups suggest potential for this vaccine-checkpoint inhibitor combination in first-line melanoma management.
10.1016/j.annonc.2026.04.010