Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model
08:49

A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model

Published on: May 18, 2018

16.3K

Overall Survival Improved for Contemporary Patients with Melanoma: A 2004-2015 National Cancer Database Analysis

Norma E Farrow1, Megan C Turner2, April K S Salama3

  • 1Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. norma.farrow@duke.edu.

Oncology and Therapy
|July 24, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

New melanoma therapies approved since 2011 have improved survival for advanced melanoma patients, especially those receiving immunotherapy and targeted treatments. Real-world data shows these advancements benefit patients outside clinical trials.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Clinical Research
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Recent clinical trials have yielded new therapies for advanced melanoma.
  • The real-world impact of these novel treatments on patient survival remains largely unexamined.
  • This study investigates the utilization and survival outcomes of contemporary melanoma patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of novel melanoma therapies on patient survival in a real-world setting.
  • To compare survival rates between historic and contemporary melanoma patient cohorts.
  • To identify patient subgroups benefiting most from recent therapeutic advancements.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Stage I-IV melanoma patients from the National Cancer Database (2004-2015).
  • Comparison of historic (2004-2010) and contemporary (2011-2015) cohorts.
  • Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard modeling, adjusting for patient, tumor, and facility characteristics.

Main Results:

  • The contemporary cohort (n=131,840) showed significantly higher immunotherapy utilization (5.3% vs. 5.1%) and improved overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.90, p<0.001) compared to the historic cohort (n=136,828).
  • OS improvements were observed for advanced stage (III/IV) patients (HR: 0.85, p<0.001), particularly those receiving immunotherapy (HR: 0.87, p=0.014).
  • No significant OS difference was found for early-stage (I/II) patients between cohorts (HR: 0.99, p=0.63).

Conclusions:

  • Contemporary melanoma patients demonstrate improved adjusted overall survival.
  • This survival benefit is primarily attributed to advancements in treating advanced-stage disease.
  • Immunotherapy and BRAF/MEK targeted therapies are key drivers of improved survival outcomes in advanced melanoma.
Keywords:
ImmunotherapyMelanomaMetastatic melanomaSurvival outcomesTargeted therapy

More Related Videos

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis07:41

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

2.7K
Analysis of Lymph Node Volume by Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging in the Braf/Pten Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Melanoma08:18

Analysis of Lymph Node Volume by Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging in the Braf/Pten Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Melanoma

Published on: September 8, 2021

3.2K

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Survival Analysis01:21

Cancer Survival Analysis

Cancer survival analysis focuses on quantifying and interpreting the time from a key starting point, such as diagnosis or the initiation of treatment, to a specific endpoint, such as remission or death. This analysis provides critical insights into treatment effectiveness and factors that influence patient outcomes, helping to shape clinical decisions and guide prognostic evaluations. A cornerstone of oncology research, survival analysis tackles the challenges of skewed, non-normally...
568
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
1.6K
Kaplan-Meier Approach01:24

Kaplan-Meier Approach

The Kaplan-Meier estimator is a non-parametric method used to estimate the survival function from time-to-event data. In medical research, it is frequently employed to measure the proportion of patients surviving for a certain period after treatment. This estimator is fundamental in analyzing time-to-event data, making it indispensable in clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and reliability engineering. By estimating survival probabilities, researchers can evaluate treatment effectiveness,...
456
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups01:20

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and...
467