Factors associated with immunotherapy selection in patients with advanced melanoma.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To explore factors associated with pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) versus ipilimumab + nivolumab (IPI+NIVO) selection in advanced melanoma. MATERIALS & METHODS: Total of 12 academic and satellite clinics contributed to this study. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between clinical characteristics and treatment choice.  Results: Total of 400 patients were included 200 PEMBRO and 200 IPI+NIVO. Patients were significantly more likely to receive PEMBRO versus IPI+NIVO if they had poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, 2-4 versus 0-1 (odds ratio [OR] 6.6; 95% CI 3.0-14.7), if they were PD-L1 positive (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.9-10.4) or had BRAF wild-type tumor (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.4-3.6). CONCLUSION: Patient factors are significantly associated with treatment selection in advanced melanoma. Outcomes comparisons should take this into consideration.