Contemporary outcomes from the use of regular imaging to detect relapse in high-risk cutaneous melanoma

Recurrence Patterns for Regionally Metastatic Melanoma Treated in the Era of Adjuvant Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the timing and patterns of recurrence for patients with regionally metastatic melanoma on the basis of nodal management and receipt of adjuvant therapy.

METHODS

We identified randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies published between 2010 and 2020 that reported timing and/or patterns of recurrence. We evaluated recurrence-free survival (RFS), location of recurrence, and surveillance strategy on the basis of receipt of adjuvant systemic therapy and nodal management with observation versus completion dissection. We compared differences in patterns of recurrence across studies using RevMan. RFS was evaluated graphically using point estimates and confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Among the 19 publications, there was wide variation in study populations, imaging surveillance regimens, and format of recurrence reporting. Patterns of disease recurrence did not differ between adjuvant and placebo/observation groups. A total of 11 studies reported RFS at variable time intervals, which ranged in adjuvant therapy groups (38-88% at 1 year, 29-67% at 2 years, 33-58% at 3 years, and 34-53% at 5 years) and placebo/observation groups (47-63% at 1 year, 39-47% at 2 years, 33-68% at 3 years, and 57% at 5 years). Anti-PD-1 immune therapy and BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy were superior to placebo at year 1.

DISCUSSION

We found that adjuvant treatment improved RFS but did not alter the patterns of disease recurrence compared with patients managed without adjuvant systemic treatment. Future studies should separately report sites of disease recurrence on the basis of specific adjuvant systemic treatment and surveillance practices to better advise patients about their patterns and risk of recurrence.

The Impact of Surveillance Imaging Frequency on the Detection of Distant Disease for Patients with Resected Stage III Melanoma

BACKGROUND

It is not known whether there is a survival benefit associated with more frequent surveillance imaging in patients with resected American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III melanoma.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate distant disease-free survival (DDFS), melanoma-specific survival (MSS), post distant recurrence MSS (dMSS), and overall survival for patients with resected stage III melanoma undergoing regular computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET)/CT surveillance imaging at different intervals.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A closely followed longitudinal cohort of patients with resected stage IIIA-D disease treated at a tertiary referral center underwent 3- to 4-monthly, 6-monthly, or 12-monthly surveillance imaging between 2000 and 2017. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank tests assessed the significance of survival differences between imaging frequency groups.

RESULTS

Of 473 patients (IIIA, 19%; IIIB, 31%; IIIC, 49%; IIID, 1%) 30% underwent 3- to 4-monthly imaging, 10% underwent 6-monthly imaging, and 60% underwent 12-monthly imaging. After a median follow-up of 6.2 years, distant recurrence was recorded in 252 patients (53%), with 40% detected by surveillance CT or PET/CT, 43% detected clinically, and 17% with another imaging modality. Median DDFS was 5.1 years (95% confidence interval 3.9-6.6). Among 139 IIIC patients who developed distant disease, the median dMSS was 4.4 months shorter in those who underwent 3- to 4-monthly imaging than those who underwent 12-monthly imaging.

CONCLUSION

Selecting patients at higher risk of distant recurrence for more frequent surveillance imaging yields a higher proportion of imaging-detected distant recurrences but is not associated with improved survival. A randomized comparison of low versus high frequency imaging is needed.

Follow-up of primary melanoma patients with high risk of recurrence: recommendations based on evidence and consensus

In spite of the good prognosis of patients with early-stage melanoma, there is a substantial proportion of them that develop local or distant relapses. With the introduction of targeted and immune therapies for advanced melanoma, including at the adjuvant setting, early detection of recurrent melanoma and/or second primary lesions is crucial to improve clinical outcomes. However, there is a lack of universal guidelines regarding both frequency of surveillance visits and diagnostic imaging and/or laboratory evaluations. In this article, a multidisciplinary expert panel recommends, after careful review of relevant data in the field, a consensus- and experience-based follow-up strategy for melanoma patients, taking into account prognostic factors and biomarkers and the high-risk periods and patterns of recurrence in each (sub) stage of the disease. Apart from the surveillance intensity, healthcare professionals should focus on patients' education to perform regular self-examinations of the skin and palpation of lymph nodes.

Canadian Melanoma Conference Recommendations on High-Risk Melanoma Surveillance: A Report from the 14th Annual Canadian Melanoma Conference; Banff, Alberta; 20-22 February 2020

Introduction: There are a lack of established guidelines for the surveillance of high-risk cutaneous melanoma patients following initial therapy. We describe a novel approach to the development of a national expert recommendation statement on high-risk melanoma surveillance (HRS). Methods: A consensus-based, live, online voting process was undertaken at the 13th and 14th annual Canadian Melanoma Conferences (CMC) to collect expert opinions relating to “who, what, where, and when” HRS should be conducted. Initial opinions were gathered via audience participation software and used as the basis for a second iterative questionnaire distributed online to attendees from the 13th CMC and to identified melanoma specialists from across Canada. A third questionnaire was disseminated in a similar fashion to conduct a final vote on HRS that could be implemented. Results: The majority of respondents from the first two iterative surveys agreed on stages IIB to IV as high risk. Surveillance should be conducted by an appropriate specialist, irrespective of association to a cancer centre. Frequency and modality of surveillance favoured biannual visits and Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET/CT) with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among the systemic imaging modalities available. No consensus was initially reached regarding the frequency of systemic imaging and ultrasound of nodal basins (US). The third iterative survey resolved major areas of disagreement. A 5-year surveillance schedule was voted on with 92% of conference members in agreement. Conclusion: This final recommendation was established following 92% overall agreement among the 2020 CMC attendees.

TRIM study protocol - a prospective randomized multicenter Trial to assess the Role of Imaging during follow-up after radical surgery of stage IIB-C and III cutaneous malignant Melanoma

BACKGROUND

The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is increasing worldwide. In Sweden, over 4600 cases were diagnosed in 2018. The prognosis after radical surgery varies considerably with tumor stage. In recent years, new treatment options have become available for metastatic CMM. Early onset of treatment seems to improve outcome, which suggests that early detection of recurrent disease should be beneficial. Consequently, in several countries imaging is a part of the routine follow-up program after surgery of high risk CMM. However, imaging has drawbacks, including resources required (costs, personnel, equipment) and the radiation exposure. Furthermore, many patients experience anxiety in waiting for the imaging results and investigations of irrelevant findings is another factor that also could cause worry and lead to decreased quality of life. Hence, the impact of imaging in this setting is important to address and no randomized study has previously been conducted. The Swedish national guidelines stipulate follow-up for 3 years by clinical examinations only.

METHODS

The TRIM study is a prospective randomized multicenter trial evaluating the potential benefit of imaging and blood tests during follow-up after radical surgery for high-risk CMM, compared to clinical examinations only. Primary endpoint is overall survival (OS) at 5 years. Secondary endpoints are survival from diagnosis of relapse and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Eligible for inclusion are patients radically operated for CMM stage IIB-C or III with sufficient renal function for iv contrast-enhanced CT and who are expected to be fit for treatment in case of recurrence. The planned number of patients is > 1300. Patients are randomized to clinical examinations for 3 years +/- whole-body imaging with CT or FDG-PET/CT and laboratory tests including S100B protein and LDH. This academic study is supported by the Swedish Melanoma Study Group.

DISCUSSION

This is the first randomized prospective trial on the potential benefit of imaging as a part of the follow-up scheme after radical surgery for high-risk CMM.

RESULTS

The first patient was recruited in June 2017 and as of April 2020, almost 500 patients had been included at 19 centers in Sweden.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03116412 . Registered 17 April 2017, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03116412.

The utility of initial staging PET-CT as a baseline scan for surveillance imaging in stage II and III melanoma

BACKGROUND

This study evaluates the utility of whole-body PET-CT for the initial staging and subsequent surveillance imaging of patients with completely resected stage II and stage III melanoma.

METHODS

A single-center, retrospective review of patients who received perioperative whole-body PET-CT from January 1, 2005 to December 1, 2019 within three months of initial melanoma diagnosis was performed.

RESULTS

Of 258 total patients with completely resected melanoma who had a PET-CT within 3 months after their melanoma diagnosis, 113 had stage II and 145 had stage III melanoma. PET-CT detected distant metastasis in 3 (2.7%) of 113 stage II patients and 7 (4.8%) of 145 stage III patients. 179 of 258 patients had adequate follow-up time to determine whether they received surveillance cross-sectional imaging and whether they had a melanoma recurrence. 143 (79.9%) received subsequent surveillance imaging, 74 of whom developed a recurrence. In 64 (86.5%) of 74 cases, recurrence was detected by routine surveillance. 26 (34.2%) of 76 stage II and 65 (63.1%) of 103 stage III patients developed a recurrence. The median time to recurrence among the 179 patients for stage II and III was 16.3 and 13.0 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that baseline staging with whole-body PET-CT rarely provides information that changes initial management. Rather, the value of the initial PET-CT is as a baseline for subsequent surveillance scans. Therefore, it may be premature to discourage cross-sectional imaging for patients with stage II and III melanoma without supportive evidence or a reliable biomarker of recurrent disease.

Melanoma Radiological Surveillance: A Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Challenges

Melanoma is a common cancer in both young and older populations in many western countries. Rates of melanoma diagnosis worldwide are increasing. With the introduction of both targeted and immunotherapies there have been dramatic improvements in the care of patients with metastatic melanoma. With these new therapies being increasingly offered to patients with stage III metastatic melanoma and stage IV disease, radiological surveillance of melanoma has become a widely used method of monitoring melanoma patients for early locoregional and distant metastasis. However, concerns have been raised about risk of false positive results, which patients to consider radiological surveillance for, and at what intervals to do so. To date, there are no published review articles on the topic of radiological surveillance in melanoma patients identified in the MEDLINE database. A comprehensive literature review was performed by searching the MEDLINE database to review all published works on this topic. This article aims to present an extensive review of literature surrounding radiological surveillance in melanoma patients, a discussion of controversies, and recommendations for surveillance modalities.

Surveillance imaging for metastasis in high-risk melanoma: importance in individualized patient care and survivorship

Most patients newly diagnosed with melanoma have early-stage disease considered of good prognosis. However, with a risk of recurrence, appropriate follow-up may include surveillance imaging for early relapse detection. Previously, surveillance imaging to detect recurrences was considered unjustified, given the lack of effective treatments. Now, systemic therapies have improved, and patients with low tumor burden may derive benefit from surveillance imaging. Despite this, controversy exists regarding the role of surveillance imaging in early-stage melanoma survivorship, in part reflected by the lack of consensus on specific imaging protocols and broad guidelines. This review discusses published evidence on surveillance imaging to detect metastasis in high-risk melanoma, the need for early recurrence detection and implications for value-based clinical decision-making, survivorship care and multidisciplinary patient management.

Early Recurrence in Completely Resected IIIB and IIIC Melanoma Warrants Restaging Prior to Adjuvant Therapy

Purpose

To evaluate the results of restaging completely resected stage IIIB/C melanoma prior to start of adjuvant therapy.

Patients and Methods

One hundred twenty patients with stage IIIB or IIIC (AJCC 2009) melanoma who underwent complete surgical resection were screened for inclusion in our trial investigating adjuvant dendritic cell therapy (NCT02993315). All patients underwent imaging to exclude local relapse or metastasis before entering the trial. The frequency of recurrent disease within 12 weeks after resection and the method of detection were investigated.

Results

Sixty-nine (58%) stage IIIB and 51 (43%) stage IIIC melanoma patients were screened. Median age was 54 (range 27–79) years. Twenty-two (18%) of 120 patients with completely resected stage IIIB/C melanoma had evidence of early recurrent disease, despite exclusion thereof by prior imaging. Median interval between resection and detection of relapse was 7.4 (range 4.3–10.7) weeks. Recurrence was asymptomatic in 17 (77%) patients, but metastasis was noticed by the patient or physician in 5 (23%). Eight patients with local relapse received local treatment with curative intent, and one was treated with systemic therapy. The remaining patients had distant metastasis, 1 of whom underwent resection of a solitary liver metastasis while 12 patients received systemic treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with completely resected stage IIIB/C melanoma have high risk of early recurrence before start of adjuvant therapy. Restaging should be considered for high-risk melanoma patients before start of adjuvant therapy.