Biomarker-driven Therapy for Melanoma

Eligible patients have to have a histologically proven metastatic melanoma failing standard treatments. Other inclusion criteria included age ≥ 18 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-2; life expectancy ≥ 24weeks; adequate renal, liver, and bone marrow functions. Previous therapy with intravenous chemotherapy, immunotherapy or major surgery at least 4 weeks before inclusion was allowed. Patients were excluded if they had a history of cardiac disease or metastatic brain or meningeal tumors. The study is approved by the institutional research ethics board.

Molecular analysis is performed at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics Berlin and a comprehensive report is made available with 4-8 weeks. The molecular tumor board interprets the data and transforms them into treatment recommendations by identifying and prioritizing predictive biomarkers. The recommendations rely on the definition of evidence levels attributed to every single aberration and the interdisciplinary discussion of the aberrations with regard to patient situation, availability of drugs, and clinical trials. The recommendations are transmitted to the physician in charge of the patient for the final decision to treat or not the patient accordingly.

The main endpoints are the number of patients with actionable molecular alterations, the number of patients with a treatment recommendation, the number of patients receiving the recommended therapy, overall survival of patients treated according to recommendations or not.

For patients treated according to the recommendations: Response rate and progression free survival at 6 months according to RECIST criteria.

Inclusion criteria

• histologically proven metastatic melanoma failing standard treatments
• age ≥ 18 years
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-2
• life expectancy ≥ 24 weeks
• adequate renal, liver, and bone marrow functions

Exclusion criteria

• history of cardiac disease or metastatic brain or meningeal tumors