Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39857988›Full record

ArticleCancers2025

The Role of Metastasectomies and Immunotherapy in the Management of Melanoma Lung Metastases: An Analysis of the National Cancer Database.

Panagiotis Tasoudis, Vasiliki Manaki, Shannon Parness, Audrey L Khoury, Chris B Agala, Benjamin E Haithcock, Gita N Mody, Jason M Long

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2025. 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. Review
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

8 authors.

Panagiotis TasoudisDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Vasiliki ManakiSchool of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Shannon ParnessDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-7425-6738
Audrey L KhouryDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7823-8583
Chris B AgalaDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7157-814X
Benjamin E HaithcockDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Gita N ModyDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Jason M LongDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6268-0943

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPatients with metastatic melanoma to the lung typically have poor outcomes. Although a pulmonary metastasectomy for selected patients has been shown to improve survival, the role of surgical resection following the introduction of immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine predictors of survival for patients with melanoma metastatic to the lung in the era of immunotherapy.

methodsIn this retrospective study, data from the National Cancer Database were abstracted for patients with melanoma lung metastases. The overall survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analysis, adjusting for previously described risk factors for mortality. Patients with concomitant metastases to organs other than the lung were excluded from the study.

resultsA total of 625 patients with lung metastases at the time of a skin melanoma diagnosis were identified. A total of 280 patients underwent a pulmonary metastasectomy, 267 received immunotherapy, and 78 were treated with both a metastasectomy and immunotherapy. During a median follow-up time of 34.6 months [IQR: 14.2, 75.9], a metastasectomy was found to offer significantly improved survival compared to immunotherapy alone. No difference was noted between a metastasectomy and a combination of a metastasectomy and immunotherapy in the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model.

conclusionsWhen statistical models were adjusted for risk factors, a metastasectomy maintained a significant survival advantage compared to immunotherapy. The addition of immunotherapy to the treatment of patients treated with a pulmonary metastasectomy did not improve survival. Our findings support the role of surgery for patients with pulmonary metastatic melanoma.

Indexed as

immunotherapymelanoma lung metastasismetastasectomy

Identifiers

PMID39857988
PMCPMC11763692

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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.