Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028

M Donia; H Jespersen; M Jalving; R Lee; H Eriksson; C Hoeller; M Hernberg; I Gavrilova; L Kandolf; G Liszkay; H Helgadottir; A Zhukavets; Dace Pjanova; I Marquez-Rodas; B Neyns; H Westgeest; I Pourmir; P Sobczuk; E Ellebaek; T Amaral

doi:10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295

Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028

M Donia^*
, H Jespersen
, M Jalving
, R Lee
, H Eriksson
, C Hoeller
, M Hernberg
, I Gavrilova
, L Kandolf
, G Liszkay
, H Helgadottir
, A Zhukavets
, Dace Pjanova
, I Marquez-Rodas
, B Neyns
, H Westgeest
, I Pourmir
, P Sobczuk
, E Ellebaek
, T Amaral

^*Corresponding author for this work

Rīga Stradiņš University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic advances have reshaped the treatment landscape for patients with resectable melanoma, particularly for those with stage IIB/C and stage III disease. In this article, we discuss the current status and future outlook of adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma in Europe.

RESULTS: Adjuvant immunotherapy offers significant benefits in terms of recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. Uncertainties regarding overall survival (OS) benefits, however, remain. Trials such as Keynote-054, which are expected to provide crucial OS information, have delayed their final analyses until 2027. Additionally, real-world studies have raised questions about the correlation between recurrence-free survival/distant metastasis-free survival improvements observed in clinical trials and OS outcomes in routine clinical practice. These uncertainties have led to ongoing debates about the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant therapies, with disparities in reimbursement policies across Europe reflecting these concerns.

CONCLUSION: Looking ahead to 2028, adjuvant immunotherapy will remain a key option of comprehensive melanoma care, particularly for patients with stage IIB/C and stage III with micrometastatic disease, where neoadjuvant immunotherapy is not feasible.

Original language	English
Article number	104295
Number of pages	6
Journal	ESMO Open
Volume	10
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295
Publication status	Published - Mar 2025

Keywords*

Humans
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/methods
Europe
Immunotherapy/methods
Melanoma/therapy

Field of Science

3.2 Clinical medicine
3.1 Basic medicine

Publication Type*

1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

Access to Document

10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Donia, M., Jespersen, H., Jalving, M., Lee, R., Eriksson, H., Hoeller, C., Hernberg, M., Gavrilova, I., Kandolf, L., Liszkay, G., Helgadottir, H., Zhukavets, A., Pjanova, D., Marquez-Rodas, I., Neyns, B., Westgeest, H., Pourmir, I., Sobczuk, P., Ellebaek, E., & Amaral, T. (2025). Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028. ESMO Open, 10(3), Article 104295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295

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title = "Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Therapeutic advances have reshaped the treatment landscape for patients with resectable melanoma, particularly for those with stage IIB/C and stage III disease. In this article, we discuss the current status and future outlook of adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma in Europe.RESULTS: Adjuvant immunotherapy offers significant benefits in terms of recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. Uncertainties regarding overall survival (OS) benefits, however, remain. Trials such as Keynote-054, which are expected to provide crucial OS information, have delayed their final analyses until 2027. Additionally, real-world studies have raised questions about the correlation between recurrence-free survival/distant metastasis-free survival improvements observed in clinical trials and OS outcomes in routine clinical practice. These uncertainties have led to ongoing debates about the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant therapies, with disparities in reimbursement policies across Europe reflecting these concerns.CONCLUSION: Looking ahead to 2028, adjuvant immunotherapy will remain a key option of comprehensive melanoma care, particularly for patients with stage IIB/C and stage III with micrometastatic disease, where neoadjuvant immunotherapy is not feasible.",

keywords = "Humans, Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/methods, Europe, Immunotherapy/methods, Melanoma/therapy",

author = "M Donia and H Jespersen and M Jalving and R Lee and H Eriksson and C Hoeller and M Hernberg and I Gavrilova and L Kandolf and G Liszkay and H Helgadottir and A Zhukavets and Dace Pjanova and I Marquez-Rodas and B Neyns and H Westgeest and I Pourmir and P Sobczuk and E Ellebaek and T Amaral",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "ESMO Open",

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Donia, M, Jespersen, H, Jalving, M, Lee, R, Eriksson, H, Hoeller, C, Hernberg, M, Gavrilova, I, Kandolf, L, Liszkay, G, Helgadottir, H, Zhukavets, A, Pjanova, D, Marquez-Rodas, I, Neyns, B, Westgeest, H, Pourmir, I, Sobczuk, P, Ellebaek, E & Amaral, T 2025, 'Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028', ESMO Open, vol. 10, no. 3, 104295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma

T2 - current status and outlook to 2028

AU - Donia, M

AU - Jespersen, H

AU - Jalving, M

AU - Lee, R

AU - Eriksson, H

AU - Hoeller, C

AU - Hernberg, M

AU - Gavrilova, I

AU - Kandolf, L

AU - Liszkay, G

AU - Helgadottir, H

AU - Zhukavets, A

AU - Pjanova, Dace

AU - Marquez-Rodas, I

AU - Neyns, B

AU - Westgeest, H

AU - Pourmir, I

AU - Sobczuk, P

AU - Ellebaek, E

AU - Amaral, T

PY - 2025/3

Y1 - 2025/3

N2 - BACKGROUND: Therapeutic advances have reshaped the treatment landscape for patients with resectable melanoma, particularly for those with stage IIB/C and stage III disease. In this article, we discuss the current status and future outlook of adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma in Europe.RESULTS: Adjuvant immunotherapy offers significant benefits in terms of recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. Uncertainties regarding overall survival (OS) benefits, however, remain. Trials such as Keynote-054, which are expected to provide crucial OS information, have delayed their final analyses until 2027. Additionally, real-world studies have raised questions about the correlation between recurrence-free survival/distant metastasis-free survival improvements observed in clinical trials and OS outcomes in routine clinical practice. These uncertainties have led to ongoing debates about the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant therapies, with disparities in reimbursement policies across Europe reflecting these concerns.CONCLUSION: Looking ahead to 2028, adjuvant immunotherapy will remain a key option of comprehensive melanoma care, particularly for patients with stage IIB/C and stage III with micrometastatic disease, where neoadjuvant immunotherapy is not feasible.

AB - BACKGROUND: Therapeutic advances have reshaped the treatment landscape for patients with resectable melanoma, particularly for those with stage IIB/C and stage III disease. In this article, we discuss the current status and future outlook of adjuvant immunotherapy for melanoma in Europe.RESULTS: Adjuvant immunotherapy offers significant benefits in terms of recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. Uncertainties regarding overall survival (OS) benefits, however, remain. Trials such as Keynote-054, which are expected to provide crucial OS information, have delayed their final analyses until 2027. Additionally, real-world studies have raised questions about the correlation between recurrence-free survival/distant metastasis-free survival improvements observed in clinical trials and OS outcomes in routine clinical practice. These uncertainties have led to ongoing debates about the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant therapies, with disparities in reimbursement policies across Europe reflecting these concerns.CONCLUSION: Looking ahead to 2028, adjuvant immunotherapy will remain a key option of comprehensive melanoma care, particularly for patients with stage IIB/C and stage III with micrometastatic disease, where neoadjuvant immunotherapy is not feasible.

KW - Humans

KW - Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/methods

KW - Europe

KW - Immunotherapy/methods

KW - Melanoma/therapy

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85217956177

U2 - 10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295

DO - 10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295

M3 - Article

C2 - 39954389

SN - 2059-7029

VL - 10

JO - ESMO Open

JF - ESMO Open

IS - 3

M1 - 104295

ER -

Adjuvant immunotherapy in the modern management of resectable melanoma: current status and outlook to 2028

Abstract

Keywords*

Field of Science

Publication Type*

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