Recurrence-Free Survival Longer With Nivolumab Than Ipilimumab in Melanoma

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with resected stage IIIB-C or stage IV melanoma, recurrence-free survival is longer with nivolumab than ipilimumab, according to a study published online Oct. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, held from Oct. 17 to 21 in Berlin.Paolo A. Ascierto, M.D., from the Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Italy, and colleagues examined the long-term outcomes of the CheckMate 238 trial in which patients with resected stage IIIB-C or stage IV melanoma were randomly assigned to receive intravenous infusion of nivolumab or ipilimumab for up to one year or until disease recurrence or occurrence of unacceptable toxic effects.The researchers found that the median duration of recurrence-free survival was 61.1 and 24.2 months with nivolumab and ipilimumab, respectively, at a minimum follow-up of 107 months (hazard ratio for recurrence or death, 0.76), with nine-year recurrence-free survival of 44 and 37 percent, respectively. For patients with stage III melanoma, the median duration of distant metastasis-free survival was more than nine years and 83.8 months with nivolumab and ipilimumab, respectively, with nine-year survival of 54 and 48 percent (hazard ratio for distant metastasis or death, 0.81). In both trial groups, the median overall survival was more than nine years."The long-term outcomes from CheckMate 238 confirm that nivolumab is a proven adjuvant treatment for patients with melanoma at high risk for recurrence, with sustained improvement in recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival," the authors write.Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry, including Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical, which funded the study.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)More Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Recurrence-Free Survival Longer With Nivolumab Than Ipilimumab in Melanoma

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