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; D. Pianova; 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, D. Pianova, I. Marquez-Rodas, B. Neyns, H. Westgeest, I. Pourmir, P. Sobczuk, E. Ellebaek, T. Amaral^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

9 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
Journal	ESMO Open
Volume	10
Issue number	3
ISSN	2059-7029
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2025.104295
Publication status	Published - Mar 2025

Keywords

adjuvant therapy
approval
immunotherapy
melanoma
neoadjuvant therapy

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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., Pianova, 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

Donia, M, Jespersen, H, Jalving, M, Lee, R, Eriksson, H, Hoeller, C, Hernberg, M, Gavrilova, I, Kandolf, L, Liszkay, G, Helgadottir, H, Zhukavets, A, Pianova, 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

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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.",

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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 D. Pianova and I. Marquez-Rodas and B. Neyns and H. Westgeest and I. Pourmir and P. Sobczuk and E. Ellebaek and T. Amaral",

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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 - Pianova, D.

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 - adjuvant therapy

KW - approval

KW - immunotherapy

KW - melanoma

KW - neoadjuvant therapy

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JO - ESMO Open

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

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Keywords

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