Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40553420›Full record

ArticleTargeted oncology2025

Discontinuation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Patients with Advanced Unresectable Melanoma Achieving CR, PR, or SD.

Anna M Czarnecka, Paweł Teterycz, Krzysztof Ostaszewski, Piotr Błoński, Magdalena Zielińska, Łukasz Galus, Robert Dziura, Natasza Kempa-Kamińska, Katarzyna Galwas, Bożena Cybulska-Stopa and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Targeted oncology, 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

15 authors.

Anna M CzarneckaDepartment of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland. AnnaMalgorzata.Czarnecka@nio.gov.pl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2107-3810
Paweł TeteryczDepartment of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
Krzysztof Ostaszewski *Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
Piotr Błoński *Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
Magdalena ZielińskaDepartment of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
Łukasz GalusDepartment of Medical and Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Robert DziuraDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Holy Cross Cancer Center, Kielce, Poland.
Natasza Kempa-KamińskaDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
Katarzyna Galwas2nd Department of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Poland.
Bożena Cybulska-StopaDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
Jacek MackiewiczDepartment of Medical and Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Marcin ZiętekDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
Grażyna Kamińska-WinciorekDepartment of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Oncohematology, Skin Cancer and Melanoma Team, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice, Poland.
Katarzyna KozakDepartment of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.
Piotr RutkowskiDepartment of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5 Street, 02-781, Warsaw, Poland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe optimal duration of immunotherapy (ITH) remains undefined for patients with metastatic melanoma, and debates on de-escalation strategies are ongoing. Patients in the pivotal KEYNOTE and CheckMate trials who experienced a complete response (CR) on ITH had long-term responses, even after treatment was terminated early because of toxicity or at the physician's discretion.

objectiveOur study explores the duration of planned ITH drug holidays-intentional ITH suspension until disease progression off treatment-in patients with unresectable and metastatic melanoma treated for at least 6 months with ITH. PATIENTS AND

methodsWe enrolled 222 patients who received anti-programmed cell death protein-1-based ITH, experienced stable disease, partial response, or complete response during ITH, and had no treatment-limiting toxicities.

resultsAt a median follow-up of 63 months since the first ITH cycle, median overall survival after the drug holiday start (OS3) was not reached, and the 5-year OS3 rate was 79.3%. Median progression-free survival since the start of drug holiday (PFS3) was not reached, with a 3-year PFS3 rate of 65% for all patients, and the highest rate was in the complete response group (72.3%). After the drug holidays, upon disease progression off treatment, the objective response rate to ITH reintroduction was 58.9%. Again, durable, ongoing objective responses were achieved on ITH reintroduction after drug holidays. The best radiological response achieved before drug holidays correlated with the duration of ITH drug holidays, with the longest duration of disease control without treatment for complete responders.

conclusionsDrug holidays in patients with unresectable and metastatic melanoma after an objective response or prolonged disease stabilization during ITH result in durable control of the disease, particularly in patients with complete response.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsImmunotherapyMelanomaAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedImmune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID40553420
PMCPMC12307567

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.