Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38743104›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2024

Preferences of physicians for treatment-related toxicity vs. recurrence in melanoma (GERMELATOX-A): the doctors' perspective.

Katharina C Kähler, Ralf Gutzmer, Yenny Angela, Elisabeth Livingstone, Georg Lodde, Frank Meiss, David A Rafei-Shamsabadi, Sera S Weyer-Fahlbusch, Dorothée Nashan, Carmen Loquai and 8 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

18 authors.

Katharina C KählerDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany. kckaehler@yahoo.de.
Ralf GutzmerDepartment of Dermatology, Johannes Wesling Medical Center Minden, Ruhr University Bochum Medical School, Bochum, Germany.
Yenny AngelaDepartment of Dermatology, Johannes Wesling Medical Center Minden, Ruhr University Bochum Medical School, Bochum, Germany.
Elisabeth LivingstoneDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Georg LoddeDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Frank MeissDepartment of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
David A Rafei-ShamsabadiDepartment of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Sera S Weyer-FahlbuschDepartment of Dermatology, Dortmund, Germany.
Dorothée NashanDepartment of Dermatology, Dortmund, Germany.
Carmen LoquaiDepartment of Dermatology, Klinikum Bremen-Ost, Gesundheitnord gGmbH, Bremen, Germany.
Jessica C HasselMedical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Dermatology and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University, NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Michael M M SachseDepartment of Dermatology, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Lara V MaulDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lucie HeinzerlingDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Markus V HepptDepartment of Dermatology, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
Chiara ColapietroDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Judith RuschInstitute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Christine BlomeInstitute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAdjuvant treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD1-antibodies (ICI) ± CTLA4-antibodies (cICI) or targeted therapy with BRAF/MEK inhibitors (TT), has shown a significant improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) for high-risk melanoma patients. However, due to specific side effects, the choice of treatment is often influenced by the risk of toxicity. Therefore, the role of physicians in treatment decisions of patients is crucial. This study investigated for the first time in a multicenter setting the attitudes and preferences of dermatooncologists in Germany and Switzerland regarding adjuvant treatment with (c)ICI and TT.

methodsIn the GERMELATOX-A study, 108 physicians (median age: 32 yrs, 67.6% female) from 11 skin cancer centers were surveyed to rate typical side effect scenarios of (c)ICI and TT treatments and then compared to patients' ratings evaluated in a previous analysis from the same centers. The scenarios described mild-to-moderate or severe toxicity and included melanoma relapse leading to death. The physicians were asked about the level of side effects they would tolerate in exchange for a reduction in melanoma relapse and an increase in survival at 5 years.

resultsThe preferences of physicians and patients revealed significant differences regarding adjuvant melanoma treatment with (c)ICI and TT (p < 0.05). Compared to patients, physicians tend to value a melanoma relapse less severe, according to a visual analog scale. They were also less threatened by all scenarios of side effects during adjuvant treatment with (c)ICI or TT, compared to patients. Physicians required lower risk reductions for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for both ICI and TT and their drug-related side effects to accept these treatments. In case of severe side effects, physicians required similar 5-year DFS rates for ICI and TT (60-65%), while patients needed a 15% improvement of 5-year DFS for ICI compared to TT (80%/65%). For survival, physicians expected an OS improvement of + 10% for all three treatment modalities, whereas patients required a higher increase: + 18-22% for ICI and + 15% for TT.

conclusionOur study highlights the importance of understanding the patient's perspective and a potential difference to the doctor's view when making decisions about adjuvant melanoma treatment with (c)ICI and TT, especially as these treatments are increasingly being implemented in earlier stages.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsMelanomaNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalAdultAgedAttitude of Health PersonnelChemotherapy, AdjuvantFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPhysiciansPractice Patterns, Physicians'Protein Kinase InhibitorsSkin NeoplasmsImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsProtein Kinase InhibitorsAdjuvant treatmentMelanomaPhysician preferencesTreatment toxicity

Identifiers

PMID38743104
PMCPMC11093864

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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.