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Talimogene laherparepvec monotherapy for head and neck melanoma patients
- Source :
- Melanoma Research; February 2023, Vol. 33 Issue: 1 p66-70, 5p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a modified herpes simplex virus, type 1, intralesionally administered in patients with stage IIIB/C-IVM1a unresectable melanoma. When surgery is not a treatment option in the head and neck region, T-VEC can be an elegant alternative to systemic immunotherapy. Ten patients with metastatic melanoma in the head and neck region started treatment with T-VEC monotherapy at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. We collected data on response, adverse events (AEs), and baseline characteristics. For response evaluation, we used clinical evaluation with photography, 3-monthly PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) using 18F-fluoro-2-D-deoxyglucose, and histological biopsies. Median age at baseline was 78.2 (35–97) years with a median follow-up of 11.6months. Of these 10 patients, 5 had a complete response (CR), 3 had a partial response, 1 had stable disease and 1 showed progressive disease (PD) as their best response. Best overall response rate (ORR) was 80%. Median progression-free survival was 10.8 months (95% confidence interval, 2.2–19.4). Grade 1 AEs occurred in all patients. Mostly, these consisted of fatigue, influenza-like symptoms, and injection site pain. PET-CT and histological biopsies proved to be clinically useful tools to evaluate treatment response for T-VEC monotherapy, confirming pCR or PD to stage IV disease requiring systemic treatment. ORR for T-VEC monotherapy for melanoma in the head and neck region at our institute was 80% with 50% achieving a CR. This realworld data demonstrates promising results and suggests T-VEC can be an alternative to systemic therapy in this select, mostly elderly patient population.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09608931 and 14735636
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Melanoma Research
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- ejs61508674
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000000866