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. 2016 Dec;27(12):2288-2294.
doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw417. Epub 2016 Sep 15.

Clinical outcomes of melanoma brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery and anti-PD-1 therapy, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, BRAF/MEK inhibitors, BRAF inhibitor, or conventional chemotherapy

K A Ahmed  1 , Y A Abuodeh  1 , M I Echevarria  1 , J A Arrington  2 , D G Stallworth  2 , C Hogue  3 , A O Naghavi  1 , S Kim  1 , Y Kim  4 , B G Patel  5 , S Sarangkasiri  1 , P A S Johnstone  1 , S Sahebjam  6 , N I Khushalani  7 , P A Forsyth  6 , L B Harrison  1 , M Yu  1 , A B Etame  6 , J J Caudell  8
Affiliations

Clinical outcomes of melanoma brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery and anti-PD-1 therapy, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, BRAF/MEK inhibitors, BRAF inhibitor, or conventional chemotherapy

K A Ahmed et al. Ann Oncol. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The effect of immunologic and targeted agents on intracranial response rates in patients with melanoma brain metastases (MBMs) is not yet clearly understood. This report analyzes outcomes of intact MBMs treated with single-session stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and anti-PD-1 therapy, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, BRAF/MEK inhibitors(i), BRAFi, or conventional chemotherapy.

Patients and methods: Patients were included if MBMs were treated with single-session SRS within 3 months of receiving systemic therapy. The primary end point of this study was distant MBM control. Secondary end points were local MBM control defined as a >20% volume increase on follow-up MRI, systemic progression-free survival, overall survival (OS) from both SRS and cranial metastases diagnosis, and neurotoxicity. Images were reviewed alongside two neuro-radiologists at our institution.

Results: Ninety-six patients were treated to 314 MBMs over 119 SRS treatment sessions between January 2007 and August 2015. No significant differences were noted in age (P = 0.27), gender (P = 0.85), treated gross tumor volume (P = 0.26), or the diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (P = 0.51) between the treatment cohorts. Twelve-month Kaplan-Meier (KM) distant MBM control rates were 38%, 21%, 20%, 8%, and 5% (P = 0.008) for SRS with anti-PD-1 therapies, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, BRAF/MEKi, BRAFi, and conventional chemotherapy, respectively. No significant differences were noted in the KM local MBM control rates among treatment groups (P = 0.25). Treatment with anti-PD-1 therapy, anti-CTLA-4 therapy, or BRAF/MEKi significantly improved OS on both univariate and multivariate analyses when compared with conventional chemotherapy.

Conclusion: In our institutional analysis of patients treated with SRS and various systemic immunologic and targeted melanoma agents, significant differences in distant MBM control and OS are noted. Prospective evaluation of the potential synergistic effect between these agents and SRS is warranted.

Keywords: anti-PD-1 therapy; brain metastases; melanoma; stereotactic radiation.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Kaplan–Meier curve for distant melanoma brain metastases control across 119 treatment sessions separated by systemic treatment groups.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Kaplan–Meier curve for overall survival of 96 patients from date of stereotactic radiosurgery separated by systemic treatment groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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