Immune checkpoint inhibitors in adjuvant setting after radical resection of melanoma: a meta-analysis of the pivotal trials

Figures & data

Table 1. Studies included in the present review and meta analysis

Study	CheckMate-238 Ascierto 2020	EORTC-18071 Eggermont 2019	KEYNOTE-054 Eggermont 2020	IMMUNED Zimmer 2020
Phase	III	III	III	II
Arms	Nivolumab vs Ipilimumab	Ipilimumab vs Placebo	Pembrolizumab vs Placebo	Nivolumab + Ipilimumab vs Nivolumab vs Placebo
Primary endpoint	Recurrence-free survival	Recurrence-free survival	Recurrence-free survival in the overall population and in PD-L1-positive tumors	Recurrence-free survival
Treatment duration	1 year	3 years	1 year	1 year
Total patients enrolled	906 (453 vs 453)	951 (475 vs 476)	1019 (514 vs 505)	167 (56 vs 59 vs 22)
Median follow-up (months)	51.1 vs 50.9	63.6	36.6	28.4
Included stages	IIIB-C, IV	III	III	IV
AJCC version	VII	VII	VII	VII
Sex
- Male	258 vs 269	296 vs 293	324 vs 304	31 vs 31 vs 33
- Female	195 vs 184	179 vs 183	190 vs 201	25 vs 18 vs 19
Age	(cutoff 65 years)	(cutoff 65 years)	(cutoff 65 years)	(cutoff 65 years)
- Younger	333 vs 339	394 vs 389	389 vs 379	45 vs 43 vs 35
- Elderly	120 vs 114	81 vs 87	125 vs 126	11 vs 16 vs 17
BRAF		not available
- Mutation	187 vs 194		245 vs 262	27 vs 27 vs 21
- Wild type	197 vs 212		233 vs 214	29 vs 32 vs 31
- Not reported	69 vs 47		36 vs 29	0
PD-L1	(cutoff 5%)	not available	(cutoff 1%)	(cutoff 5%)
- Positive	153 vs 154		428 vs 425	28 vs 28 vs 25
- Negative	300 vs 299		59 vs 57	28 vs 31 vs 27
- Unknown	0		36 vs 29	0
Ulceration				Not available
- Present	145 vs 133	197 vs 203	208 vs 197
- Absent	187 vs 199	257 vs 244	230 vs 251
- Not reported	38 vs 34		76 vs 57
Stage
- IIIA	0	98 vs 88	77 vs 75	0
- IIIB-C	368 vs 366	377 vs 388	437 vs 430	0
- IV	82 vs 87*	0	0	56 vs 59 vs 52
M stage
- M1a-b	62 vs 66	0	0	38 vs 41 vs 36
- M1c	20 vs 21	0	0	18 vs 18 vs 16^†

*1 case not reported.

†Including history of brain metastases in 22 patients.

Figure 1. Flow diagram of the study selection process for the qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Figure 2. Forest plot resulting from the meta analysis of the included studies for the primary endpoint of relapse free survival (RFS).

Figure 3. Subgroup meta analysis for sex (a), age (b), BRAF mutational status (c), PD-L1 expression (d), ulceration (e), stage (f), M substage (g).