Yeun Mi Yim

Treatment patterns and outcomes in BRAF V600E-mutant melanoma patients with brain metastases receiving vemurafenib in the real-world setting

Brain metastases are a common and serious complication among patients with metastatic melanoma. The selective BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib has demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with BRAF V600E‐mutant melanoma brain metastases (MBM). We examined the real‐world application and clinical outcomes of vemurafenib in this patient population. Demographic, treatment patterns, response, and survival data were collected from medical charts. Clinical data on 283 patients with active BRAF V600E‐mutant MBM treated with vemurafenib were provided by 70 US oncologists. Mean age was 57.2 years, 60.8% were male, 67.5% had ECOG performance status of 0–1, and 43.1% used corticosteroids at vemurafenib initiation. Median follow‐up was 5.7 months. Following vemurafenib initiation, 48.1% of patients experienced intracranial response and 45.6% experienced extracranial response. The Kaplan–Meier estimate for overall survival was 59% at 12 months. Multivariate analyses showed associations between intracranial response and both corticosteroid use and vemurafenib as initial therapy after MBM diagnosis. Larger size (5–10 mm vs. <5 mm) and number of brain metastases (≥5 vs. <2) and progressive extracranial disease at treatment initiation were associated with decreased intracranial response and increased risk of disease progression. Multiple extracranial sites (2 vs. <2) and the absence of local treatments were also associated with increased risk of progression. Increased risk of death was associated with ≥2 extracranial disease sites, progressive extracranial disease, and ≥5 brain metastases. Subgroups of MBM patients may derive more benefit with vemurafenib, warranting prospective investigation.

Comparative healthcare costs in patients with metastatic melanoma in the USA.

Recent advances have increased treatment options for, and improved clinical outcomes in, metastatic melanoma (mM). Using a large claims database, this retrospective study compared healthcare and adverse event (AE) costs in a US managed care population of mM patients initiating vemurafenib (VEM), ipilimumab (IPI), dacarbazine (DTIC), paclitaxel (PAC), or temozolomide (TMZ) from July 2009 to September 2012. Treatment episodes were identified from the start of study drugs (index date) to a switch to a different study drug, or a gap greater than 45 days (>112 days for IPI). Grade 3/4 adverse events occurring ≥5% from study drug package inserts were selected for this analysis. All-cause costs for treatment episodes and AEs were normalized as monthly costs. Generalized estimating equation models with log link and gamma distribution provided adjusted monthly treatment episode and AE costs. A total of 809 treatment episodes were identified in 541 mM patients, with a mean (SD) age of 57.5 (11.5) years. The total mean (SD) all-cause cost per treatment episode for VEM was

Reliability and validity of the Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma Index (aBCCdex)

77 687 (

Assessment of costs associated with adverse events in patients with cancer

60 329), for IPI was

1104PPREDICTORS OF TREATMENT (TX) RESPONSE AND PROGRESSION IN BRAF V600E METASTATIC MELANOMA (MM) PATIENTS (PTS) WITH BRAIN METASTASES (BM) RECEIVING VEMURAFENIB (VEM) IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING

153 062 (

Age distribution of patients with advanced non-melanoma skin cancer in the United States

134 048), for DTIC was

Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life for Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma and Basal Cell Carcinoma Nevus Syndrome Development of the First Disease-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Questionnaires

35 243 (

P2.03a-044 Severe Adverse Events Impact Overall Survival (OS) and Costs in Elderly Patients with Advanced NSCLC on Second-Line Therapy: Topic: Clinical Trials

33 641), for TMZ was

Comparative health care (HC) costs in patients (pts) with metastatic melanoma (mM).

42 870 (

Impact of severe adverse events during second-line therapy on healthcare costs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC)

41 384), and for PAC was