E-resources
Peer reviewed
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Larkin, James, Dr; Del Vecchio, Michele, MD; Ascierto, Paolo A, MD; Krajsova, Ivana, MD; Schachter, Jacob, Prof; Neyns, Bart, MD; Espinosa, Enrique, MD; Garbe, Claus, Prof; Sileni, Vanna Chiarion, MD; Gogas, Helen, MD; Miller, Wilson H, MD; Mandalà, Mario, MD; Hospers, Geke A P, Prof; Arance, Ana, MD; Queirolo, Paola, Prof; Hauschild, Axel, Prof; Brown, Michael P, PhD; Mitchell, Lada, PhD; Veronese, Luisa, MD; Blank, Christian U, Dr
The lancet oncology, 04/2014, Volume: 15, Issue: 4Journal Article
Summary Background The orally available BRAF kinase inhibitor vemurafenib, compared with dacarbazine, shows improved response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma that has a BRAFV600 mutation. We assessed vemurafenib in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma with BRAFV600 mutations who had few treatment options. Methods In an open-label, multicentre study, patients with untreated or previously treated melanoma and a BRAFV600 mutation received oral vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day. The primary endpoint was safety. All analyses were done on the safety population, which included all patients who received at least one dose of vemurafenib. This report is the third interim analysis of this study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01307397. Findings Between March 1, 2011, and Jan 31, 2013, 3226 patients were enrolled in 44 countries. 3222 patients received at least one dose of vemurafenib (safety population). At data cutoff, 868 (27%) patients were on study treatment and 2354 (73%) had withdrawn, mainly because of disease progression. Common adverse events of all grades included rash (1592 49%), arthralgia (1259 39%), fatigue (1093 34%), photosensitivity reaction (994 31%), alopecia (826 26%), and nausea (628 19%). 1480 (46%) patients reported grade 3 or 4 adverse events, including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (389 12%), rash (155 5%), liver function abnormalities (165 5%), arthralgia (106 3%), and fatigue (93 3%). Grade 3 and 4 adverse events were reported more frequently in patients aged 75 years and older (n=257; 152 59%, 95% CI 53–65 and ten 4%, 2–7, respectively) than in those younger than 75 years (n=2965; 1286 43%, 42–45 and 82 3%, 2–3, respectively). Interpretation Vemurafenib safety in this diverse population of patients with BRAFV600 mutated metastatic melanoma, who are more representative of routine clinical practice, was consistent with the safety profile shown in the pivotal trials of this drug. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche.
