Ep 79: coBRIM, COMBI-d 5-year follow-up

SummaryIn this episode of Melanoma Matters, James awaits an invitation to a film premiere (The Penguin Lessons) and we all await a picture of him in his tuxedo! Sapna and James go on to discuss the 5-year outcomes of studies such as coBRIM, COMBI-d, and how those compare to 5-year benchmarks from the COLUMBUS study. They explore subgroups and characteristics of favorable (and durable) response, the role of MEK inhibitors on immune activation, and a potential fellow's project (looking at you, Rob?). KeywordsMelanoma, targeted therapy, co-BRIM, COMBI-d, COLUMBUS, immunotherapy, BRAF MEK inhibitors, overall survival, progression-free survival, patient outcomes, cohorts, LDH, organ sitesTakeawaysMEK inhibitors have a complex role in immune response.Normal LDH levels correlate with better patient outcomes.Immunotherapy and targeted therapy can have overlapping patient populations.Sound Bites"We thought we'd do more targeted therapy""Normal LDH is doing better.""Long-term follow-up for targeted therapy."Chapters00:00 Will he or won't he ... James awaits invitation to film premiere04:26 coBRIM 5y FU11:56 COMBI-d 5y FU13:19 LDH subgroups17:26 Normal LDH & <3 organ sites of metastasis 18:07 Invalid analysis & graph ... tsk tsk NEJM 22:36 Fact Check22:40 What's the color of James' t-shirt?25:34 Five-Year Results of BRAF Targeted Therapies28:37 Cure Potential of Adjuvant Targeted Therapy31:34 MEK Inhibition and Immune Activation