touchONCOLOGY met with editorial board member Dr Paolo Ascierto at ESMO 2018 to discuss the recent developments in the treatment of advanced melanoma. In this expert interview, Dr Ascierto reviews some of the recent trials investigating various immunotherapy combinations, and how survival rates have increased over the last few years. However, the levels of toxicity in these combinations can be a barrier to treatment. Finally, he talks about what he feels are some of the most interesting data at this year’s ESMO congress: the KEYNOTE-022 trial, which is the first trial to compare an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (pembrolizumab) + a BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) + a MEK inhibitor (trametinib) versus BRAF + MEK inhibition alone.
Questions:
1. What have been the most significant recent developments in the treatment of melanoma? (0:11)
2. What are the current unmet needs and/or the challenges you face when treating patients? (2:17)
3. What developments are you most excited about in the area of melanoma over the next few years? (3:47)
4. Which presentations/data from the ESMO 2018 congress have interested you the most? (5:22)
Speaker disclosures: Paolo A Ascierto has nothing to disclose in relation to this interview.
Filmed at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress, Munich, Germany, 19–23 October 2018.
