Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33132048›Full record

ArticleJournal of geriatric oncology2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors retain effectiveness in older patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma.

Ashley V Howell, Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Bruce H Thiers, Chrystal M Paulos, John M Wrangle, Kelly J Hunt, Kristin Wallace

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of geriatric oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ashley V HowellDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: howellas@musc.edu.
Mulugeta GebregziabherDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Bruce H ThiersDepartment of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Chrystal M PaulosDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
John M WrangleDepartment of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Kelly J HuntDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Kristin WallaceDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Medical University of South Carolina · US

Funding

Translational Engineering in Cancer (TEC)P30CA023108 · NCI · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · PI Fred W Kolling IV · 1985 to 2026
$91.3M
South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR)UL1TR001450 · NCATS · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI BRADY, KATHLEEN T., FLUME, PATRICK A · 2015 to 2024
$41.1M
Proteomics CoreP30DK123704 · NIDDK · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI DON C. ROCKEY · 2020 to 2026
$8.8M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001450NCI NIH HHS P30 CA023108
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically changed the treatment landscape for advanced melanoma, but their use in older patients remains understudied. An age-related decline in immune function is of concern when treating older patients because host immune factors can influence clinical outcomes with immunotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ICIs in patients 65 years and older.

methodsUsing the SEER-Medicare data, we evaluated survival by first systemic treatment type in a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 65 years and older who were diagnosed with stage IV cutaneous melanoma between 2012 and 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

resultsA total of 541 patients were included in this study. Median survival differed significantly between groups (p < 0.0001) and was longest in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors (34.0 months), followed by CTLA-4 inhibitors (16.8 months), targeted therapy (9.7 months), chemotherapy (7.1 months), and no systemic therapy (3.6 months). The ICI survival benefit persisted after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, M stage, the presence of brain metastases, and evaluation at an NCI-designated cancer center. Hazard ratios comparing ICIs to no systemic therapy were 0.35 (95% CI: 0.24-0.52) for PD-1 inhibitors and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.37-0.63) for CTLA-4 inhibitors. We did not observe a difference in ICI effectiveness by age group (65-74 vs ≥75).

conclusionsIn a nationally representative cohort of patients with advanced melanoma, ICI therapy delivered in a real world setting significantly improved survival in patients aged 65 years and older.

Indexed as

MelanomaSkin NeoplasmsAgedHumansImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsMedicareRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsAgedChemotherapyImmunological antineoplastic agentsMedicareMelanomaMolecular targeted therapySurvival analysis

Identifiers

PMID33132048
PMCPMC12547970
OpenAlexW3097240482

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.