ASCO 2023 | Impact of emotional distress on pathologic response in high-risk stage III melanoma

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy in high-risk stage III melanoma patients has shown promising results in achieving pathologic response. Biomarkers such as the gamma signature and tumor mutational burden (TMB) have been utilized but do not fully explain treatment response. Irene Reijers, MD / PhD student, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands, discusses an investigation into the impact of emotional distress on pathologic response and survival after neoadjuvant combination immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in high-risk stage III melanoma from the Phase II OpACIN-neo (NCT02977052) trial. The results showed that patients with ED had a lower rate of major pathologic responses and lower relapse-free survival compared to patients without ED. The study suggests that emotional distress may be a baseline marker associated with impaired clinical outcomes in this patient population. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore potential interventions to improve the anti-tumor immune response and patient outcomes. This interview took place at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 Annual Congress in Chicago, IL.

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