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NCT Number: NCT07830225

A Pilot Study of ctDNA-Guided Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Duration in Patients With Advanced Melanoma.

This is a phase II pilot study evaluating the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to guide the optimal duration of standard of care immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic melanoma who have radiographic evidence of disease control and/or response to treatment.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Rutgers Cancer Institute

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Olutobi Adewale

CONTACT

[email protected]

1 732-423-4822

About this study

This is a study of patients with advanced melanoma who are potentially eligible to stop or shorten their duration of ICI. Patients with radiographic disease control and/or response with undetectable ctDNA levels will stop ICI therapy after 1 year. Patients who have responded to ICI but have experienced immune-related adverse events (irAE) requiring treatment interruption and immunosuppression are also eligible and will stop ICI therapy if ctDNA is undetectable. All patients with undetectable ctDNA who candidates are to stop treatment will undergo monitoring with standard of care imaging and ctDNA assessments every three months to assess for the primary outcome of the 12-month sustained ctDNA negativity rate. Undetectable ctDNA for the purposes of the treatment duration decision time point is defined as two consecutive negative ctDNA tests performed at least 4 weeks apart.

If ctDNA is detectable at the treatment duration decision time point, treatment will be continued as per an investigator's choice regimen. In patients whose ctDNA converts from undetectable to detectable during the monitoring period, the investigator may choose to restart ICI based upon imaging findings and/or other relevant clinical factors.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age > 18 with any subtype of unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma treated with anti-PD-1-based ICI which includes both anti-PD-1 monotherapy and dual checkpoint inhibitor regimens such as ipilimumab plus nivolumab and nivolumab plus relatlimab.

Disease control after at least 6-12 months of anti-PD-1-based ICI defined as a radiographic RECIST CR, PR, or SD and planned for at least 1 year of treatment

OR

Development of an irAE(s) on an anti-PD-1-based regimen requiring treatment interruption and immunosuppression where the investigator is considering treatment discontinuation. Patients must have a radiographic RECIST PR or CR at the treatment duration decision time point.

  • Any line of therapy, with the exception of adjuvant therapy.
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
  • Patients with brain metastasis may be included only if there was also presence of extracranial disease.
  • ECOG performance status 0-2.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants who are receiving investigational therapies.
  • Inadequate tumor quantity or quality to conduct initial Signatera ctDNA testing.
  • Intracranial-only metastatic melanoma.
  • Patients with best response of progressive disease at time of screening.
  • Patients who have had their melanoma completely surgically resected such that response to immunotherapy is no longer evaluable.
  • Patients who are unwilling to continue or stop ICI therapy using ctDNA guidance in combination with imaging response.
  • History of a life-threatening or severe irAE that would make ICI rechallenge unsafe. These cases will be discussed with the Principal Investigator.
  • Any significant medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness that would prevent the subject from participating in the study.

Treatment and study plan

A Pilot Study of ctDNA-guided immune checkpoint inhibitor duration in patients with advanced melanoma

Other

This is a phase II pilot study evaluating the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to guide the optimal duration of standard of care immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic melanoma who have radiographic evidence of disease control and/or response to treatment.

Primary outcomes

  1. Primary Outcome

    Time frame: 12-month sustained ctDNA negativity rate after ICI discontinuation

    To determine whether ctDNA can safely and feasibly guide ICI treatment duration decisions in patients with advanced melanoma by measuring the proportion of patients who demonstrate persistently undetectable ctDNA in the 12 months following treatment discontinuation

Secondary outcomes

  1. Secondary Outcome 1

    Time frame: 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with undetectable ctDNA who discontinue ICI

    To evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) following ctDNA-guided discontinuation of ICI in patients with undetectable ctDNA

  2. Secondary Outcome 2

    Time frame: 1-year overall survival (OS) among patients with undetectable ctDNA who discontinue ICI

    To evaluate overall survival (OS) following ctDNA-guided discontinuation of ICI in patients with undetectable ctDNA

  3. Outcome measure 3

    Time frame: 1-year treatment-free survival (TFS) among patients with undetectable ctDNA who discontinue ICI

    To evaluate treatment-free survival (TFS) following ctDNA-guided discontinuation of ICI in patients with undetectable ctDNA

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Olutobi Adewale

CONTACT

[email protected]

732-235-2465

Sarah Weiss, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

732-235-2465

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2029
First posted
Sep 21, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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