Melanoma, Metastatic Melanoma
Conditions
Keywords
Immunotherapy, First-Line Treatment
Brief summary
This study evaluates the effectiveness of first-line immunotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma treated at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in Slovenia. The main objectives are to assess treatment response rates, progression-free survival, and treatment safety, and to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers associated with response to immunotherapy. Biological samples including blood, stool, and body fluids (if available) will be collected at predefined time points and analyzed for molecular tumor markers. Imaging assessments (CT or PET/CT) will be performed before treatment initiation and during follow-up to evaluate response. The study aims to improve identification of patient subgroups who benefit from immunotherapy and those who do not, supporting better personalized treatment strategies.
Detailed description
Metastatic melanoma is a malignant skin cancer with significant morbidity and mortality. In recent years, immunotherapy has become a standard first-line treatment option for metastatic melanoma, but clinical benefit varies substantially among patients. Reliable prognostic and predictive biomarkers are needed to identify patients who are likely to respond to immunotherapy and those who may require alternative strategies. This prospective study is conducted at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana and evaluates the effectiveness of first-line immunotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma treated in Slovenia. The primary clinical outcomes include overall response rate, progression-free survival, and safety of treatment. Patients will undergo routine imaging examinations (CT or PET/CT of the head, chest, and abdomen) prior to the start of immunotherapy and at follow-up time points (week 4, week 12, and week 28), and additionally as clinically indicated. Imaging results will be used to evaluate disease response to treatment. In parallel, biological samples will be collected at the same time points, including peripheral blood (10 mL), stool samples, and samples of pleural or peritoneal effusions when present. Samples will be analyzed for molecular tumor markers to explore associations with clinical response and survival outcomes. The study aims to identify biomarker-based subgroups of patients for whom immunotherapy is beneficial and those for whom it is not, contributing to improved individualized treatment approaches in metastatic melanoma.
Interventions
DRUGImmunotherapy
Standard-of-care first-line immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-1 with or without anti-CTLA-4), administered according to institutional practice.
Sponsors
Institute of Oncology Ljubljana
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age ≥ 18 years * Metastatic (diffuse) melanoma * Planned first-line immunotherapy treatment * Signed informed consent for participation in the study
Exclusion criteria
* Age \< 18 years * Inability to provide informed consent * Any condition preventing participation or sample collection according to investigator judgment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Response Rate (ORR) to First-Line Immunotherapy | Up to 28 weeks after start of immunotherapy | Proportion of patients with metastatic melanoma achieving complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) during first-line immunotherapy, assessed by imaging (CT or PET/CT) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Progression-Free Survival (PFS) | Up to 3 years | Time from initiation of first-line immunotherapy to disease progression or death from any cause. |
| Time to Disease Progression | Up to 3 years | Time from initiation of first-line immunotherapy to documented disease progression assessed by imaging. |
| Safety of First-Line Immunotherapy | Up to 3 years | Incidence of treatment-related adverse events during first-line immunotherapy. |
| Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Blood, Stool and Body Fluids | Baseline and weeks 4, 12, and 28 | Identification of molecular biomarkers in blood (10 mL), stool, and pleural/peritoneal effusions (if present) associated with response to immunotherapy and survival outcomes. |
Countries
Slovenia
Contacts
CONTACTTanja Mesti, MD
CONTACTKlavdija Korošec
Outcome results
None listed