Long-term HRQOL impact of adjuvant pembrolizumab versus placebo after resection of stage III melanoma

The phase 3 EORTC 1325-MG/KEYNOTE-054 trial, at 123 centers in 23 countries, randomized patients after resection of stage III melanoma 1:1 to pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo every three weeks for 18 doses, and showed improved recurrence-free survival and distant-metastasis-free survival in the pembrolizumab group, without impact of pembrolizumab on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during treatment. Long-term HRQOL of the two groups have now been published. From 108 weeks after randomisation to 48 months after randomisation HRQOL was measured every 6 months using the EORTC QLQ-C30. Completion of the HRQOL evaluation at baseline (108 weeks after randomisation) exceeded 90%, and ranged between 60% and 90% for post-baseline time points. There was no significant difference in change in HRQOL from baseline between the two groups. The authors conclude that the oncological efficacy of pembrolizumab did not come at cost of worse long-term HRQOL of patients after resection of stage III melanoma.