Adjuvant targeted therapy in patients with skin melanoma: evidence from Russian real-world clinical practice (RATIONALE study)
- Authors: Samoylenko I.V.1,2, Orlova K.V.1,2, Tantsyrev D.A.3, Sharov S.V.4, Sultanbaev A.V.5,6, Akopyan A.A.7, Leushina N.V.8, Rossokha E.I.3, Abdelgafur Omar A.M.9, Pokataev I.A.10, Chupriianova T.V.11, Romachuk O.V.12, Shkradiuk A.V.13, Musaeva N.E.14, Mironov O.V.15, Riabets N.G.16, Shesterikova O.O.17, Tiugina I.A.18, Zubkova E.V.19, Prokudina N.V.20, Baturina K.D.21, Dmitrieva N.I.2, Ruzavina E.I.22, Ivanova-Radkevich V.I.22, Matveeva O.N.22, Koga E.V.2, Demidov L.V.1,2
-
Affiliations:
- Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology
- Melanoma Specialists Association
- Altai Regional Oncologic Dispensary
- Clinical Oncology Dispensary No. 1, Krasnodar
- Republican Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Ufa
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62 of the Moscow City Health Department
- Primushko Republican Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
- Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
- Moscow City Hospital named after S.S. Yudin, Moscow Healthcare Department"
- Perm Regional Oncologic Dispensary
- Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical Center "Kommunarka"
- Efetov Crimean Republican Oncologic Clinical Dispensary
- Kryzhanovsky Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
- Tambov Regional Oncologic Clinical Dispensary
- Clinical Oncologic Dispensary, Omsk
- Sverdlovsk Regional Oncologic Dispensary
- Ivanovo Regional Oncology Dispensary
- Regional Oncology Center, Irkutsk
- Oncology Center of the Kaliningrad Region
- Regional Oncology Dispensary, Astrakhan
- Novartis Pharma LLC
- Issue: Vol 27, No 3 (2025)
- Pages: 246-257
- Section: Articles
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1815-1434/article/view/363025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.26442/18151434.2025.3.203476
- ID: 363025
Cite item
Full Text
Abstract
Background. Adjuvant targeted therapy (ATT) with a combination of dabrafenib and trametinib after radical surgical treatment in patients with stage III skin melanoma (SM) with a BRAF V600 mutation reduces the risk of disease recurrence. The effectiveness of this approach has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials, and also confirmed in several large non-Russian real-world (RW) studies.
Aim. To evaluate, in RW settings, the effectiveness of ATT with a combination of dabrafenib and trametinib after definitive surgical treatment in patients with BRAF V600-positive SM in Russia.
Materials and methods. The RATIONALE study is a prospective, non-interventional, multicenter RW study. The follow-up duration for the study was 1 year. Patients with SM older than 18 years who had previously started dabrafenib and trametinib therapy no more than 8 weeks prior to Visit 1 were included in the study. The paper presents results from the analysis of Cohort 1 only (patients who received dabrafenib and trametinib in the adjuvant setting).
Results. The cohort included 214 patients with BRAF V600-mutated SM of stages IIIA–D and IV resectable. At the time of therapy initiation, the majority of patients were stage IIIc (54.7%) or IIIb (22.0%). The most common mutation – BRAF V600E – occurred in 66.3% of cases, while the second most common variant – BRAF V600 not otherwise specified – was detected in 31.3%. One-year overall survival for all included patients was 94%, one-year relapse-free survival was 84%, and one-year distant metastasis-free survival was 86%. No previously listed adverse events were reported. Adverse events led to therapy discontinuation in only 11.7% of cases. ATT did not reduce patients' quality of life. In the subgroup analysis, the effectiveness of the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib after removal of distant metastases (equivalent to stage IV resectable) was found, in particular, the one-year relapse-free survival rate was 83%, and the one-year overall survival rate was 100%, which is comparable to these indicators for stage IIIB-D (72–86 and 78–100%, respectively).
Conclusion. The effectiveness and favorable safety profile of the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib in ATT after radical surgical treatment was confirmed in a population of Russian patients with SM in the RW settings.
About the authors
Igor V. Samoylenko
Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology; Melanoma Specialists Association
Author for correspondence.
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7150-5071
Cand. Sci. (Med.)
Russian Federation, Moscow; MoscowKristina V. Orlova
Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology; Melanoma Specialists Association
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0442-5917
D. Sci. (Med.)
Russian Federation, Moscow; MoscowDenis A. Tantsyrev
Altai Regional Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
Oncologist, Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, BarnaulSergey V. Sharov
Clinical Oncology Dispensary No. 1, Krasnodar
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8715-2992
Cand. Sci. (Med.)
Russian Federation, KrasnodarAlexander V. Sultanbaev
Republican Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Ufa; Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0996-5995
Cand. Sci. (Med.)
Russian Federation, Ufa; EkaterinburgArshak A. Akopyan
Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62 of the Moscow City Health Department
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0893-9034
Oncologist, chemotherapist
Russian Federation, Istra, KrasnogorskNadezhda V. Leushina
Primushko Republican Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0008-4386-5481
Oncologist, Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, IzhevskElena I. Rossokha
Altai Regional Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5303-3012
Cand. Sci. (Med.), Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, BarnaulAkhmed Y. M.Z. Abdelgafur Omar
Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8917-5610
Oncologist, Department Head
Russian Federation, Nizhny NovgorodIlya A. Pokataev
Moscow City Hospital named after S.S. Yudin, Moscow Healthcare Department"
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9864-3837
D. Sci. (Med.), Moscow State Budgetary Healthcare Institution «Oncological Center No. 1»
Russian Federation, MoscowTatiana V. Chupriianova
Perm Regional Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0008-7288-4040
Deputy Chief doctor
Russian Federation, PermOlga V. Romachuk
Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical Center "Kommunarka"
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3505-6736
Oncologist, Department Head
Russian Federation, MoscowAleksandr V. Shkradiuk
Efetov Crimean Republican Oncologic Clinical Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6276-5717
Oncologist, Department Head
Russian Federation, SimferopolNatalia E. Musaeva
Kryzhanovsky Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1999-0847
Oncologist, Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, KrasnoyarskOleg V. Mironov
Tambov Regional Oncologic Clinical Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7549-7889
Oncologist, Department Head
Russian Federation, TambovNataliia G. Riabets
Clinical Oncologic Dispensary, Omsk
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
Oncologist
Russian Federation, OmskOlesya O. Shesterikova
Sverdlovsk Regional Oncologic Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
Oncologist
Russian Federation, EkaterinburgIana A. Tiugina
Ivanovo Regional Oncology Dispensary
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-6110-0003
Oncologist, Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, IvanovoEkaterina V. Zubkova
Regional Oncology Center, Irkutsk
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
Oncologist, Department Head
Russian Federation, IrkutskNatalia V. Prokudina
Oncology Center of the Kaliningrad Region
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0005-8178-1199
Oncologist, Head of the Day Hospital
Russian Federation, KaliningradKamilia D. Baturina
Regional Oncology Dispensary, Astrakhan
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
Oncologist, chemotherapist
Russian Federation, AstrakhanNataliya Iu. Dmitrieva
Melanoma Specialists Association
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1072-243X
Supernumerary
Russian Federation, MoscowElena I. Ruzavina
Novartis Pharma LLC
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6265-0509
Senior manager
Russian Federation, MoscowVeronika I. Ivanova-Radkevich
Novartis Pharma LLC
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8362-2072
Cand. Sci. (Biol.), medical writer
Russian Federation, MoscowOlga N. Matveeva
Novartis Pharma LLC
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-0806-909X
Cand. Sci. (Med.)
Russian Federation, MoscowEkaterina V. Koga
Melanoma Specialists Association
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0002-0391-8514
Oncologist
Russian Federation, MoscowLev V. Demidov
Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology; Melanoma Specialists Association
Email: igor.samoylenko.uz@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8562-6082
D. Sci. (Med.), Prof.
Russian Federation, Moscow; MoscowReferences
- Long GV, Hauschild A, Santinami M, et al. Adjuvant Dabrafenib plus Trametinib in Stage III BRAF-Mutated Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(19):1813-83. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1708539
- Dummer R, Hauschild A, Santinami M, et al. Five-Year Analysis of Adjuvant Dabrafenib plus Trametinib in Stage III Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(12): 1139-18. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2005493
- Long GV, Hauschild A, Santinami M, et al. Final Results for Adjuvant Dabrafenib plus Trametinib in Stage III Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(18):1709-70. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2404139
- Placzke J, Rosińska M, Sobczuk P, et al. Modern Approach to Melanoma Adjuvant Treatment with Anti-PD1 Immune Check Point Inhibitors or BRAF/MEK Targeted Therapy: Multicenter Real-World Report. Cancers (Basel). 2023;15(17):4384. doi: 10.3390/cancers15174384
- Bai X, Shaheen A, Grieco C, et al. Dabrafenib plus trametinib versus anti-PD-1 monotherapy as adjuvant therapy in BRAF V600-mutant stage III melanoma after definitive surgery: a multicenter, retrospective cohort study. EClinicalMedicine. 2023;65:102290:102290. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102290
- Livingstone E, Forschner A, Hassel JC, et al. Multicenter real-world data of adjuvant treatment and disease outcome of patients with melanoma with high-risk of recurrence. JCO. 2022;40(16_suppl):9570-50. doi: 10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.9570
- Eroglu Z, Tang J, Byrne C, et al. Real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes among subgroups of BRAF-positive metastatic melanoma patients treated with dabrafenib + trametinib. JCO. 2023;41(Suppl. 16):9521-51. doi: 10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.9521
- Akhmetianova A, Orlova KV, Nazarova VV, et al. Comparison of adjuvant targeted and anti-PD1 immunotherapy in BRAF-mutated stage III cutaneous melanoma: Retrospective, single center cohort study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2024;42(Suppl.16):e21558. doi: 10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.e21558
- Ахметьянова А.Е., Орлова К.В., Назарова В.В., и др. Адъювантная терапия и исходы у пациентов с меланомой кожи III стадии с мутацией в гене BRAF. Данные реальной клинической практики. Эффективная фармакотерапия. 2025;21(9):16-21 [Akhmetianova AYe, Orlova KV, Nazarova VV. Adjuvant Therapy and Outcomes in Patients with Stage III BRAF-Mutated Cutaneous Melanoma: Real-World Data. Effective pharmacotherapy. 2025;21(9):16-21 (in Russian)]. doi: 10.33978/2307-3586-2025-21-9-16-21
- Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 5. Published: 2017 November 27. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.
- Atkinson V, Robert C, Grob JJ, et al. Improved pyrexia-related outcomes associated with an adapted pyrexia adverse event management algorithm in patients treated with adjuvant dabrafenib plus trametinib: Primary results of COMBI-APlus. Eur J Cancer. 2022;163:79-87. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.12.015
- Blank CU, Lucas MW, Scolyer RA, et al. Neoadjuvant Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Resectable Stage III Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(18):1696-708. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2402604
- Patel SP, Othus M, Chen Y, et al. Neoadjuvant-Adjuvant or Adjuvant-Only Pembrolizumab in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2023;388(9):813-23. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2211437
- Самойленко И.В., Кузьменко А.О., Проценко С.А., и др. Неоадъювантная терапия резектабельной меланомы кожи в России: опыт трех онкологических центров. Эффективная фармакотерапия. 2024;20(5):36-43 [Samoylenko IV, Kuzmenko AO, Protsenko SA. Neoadjuvant Therapy of Resectable Skin Melanoma in Russia: the Experience of Three Cancer Centers. Effective pharmacotherapy. 2024;20(5):36-43 (in Russian)]. doi: 10.33978/2307-3586-2024-20-5-36-43
- Samoylenko I, Demidov L, Dziamidava S, et al. 1100P Anti-PD1 + low-dose anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy pathological response rate in patients with stage III resectable melanoma: Phase III NEOMIMAJOR trial interim analysis. Annals of Oncology. 2024;35:S729. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2024.08.1168
- Amaria RN, Postow M, Burton EM, et al. Neoadjuvant relatlimab and nivolumab in resectable melanoma. Nature. 2022;611(7934):155-60. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05368-8
- Wohlfeil SA, Kranzmann L, Weiß C, et al. Influence of adjuvant therapies on organ-specific recurrence of cutaneous melanoma: A multicenter study on 1383 patients of the prospective DeCOG registry ADOReg. Int J Cancer. 2024;155(10): 1808-83. doi: 10.1002/ijc.35078
- Wang Y, Lian B, Si L, et al. Cumulative incidence and risk factors of brain metastasis for acral and mucosal melanoma patients with stages I-III. Eur J Cancer. 2022;175:196-203. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.08.008
- Diaz MJ, Mark I, Rodriguez D, et al. Melanoma Brain Metastases: A Systematic Review of Opportunities for Earlier Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Life (Basel). 2023;13(3):828. doi: 10.3390/life13030828
- González-Barrallo I, Castellón Rubio VE, Medina J, et al. Relation between dabrafenib plus trametinib-induced pyrexia and age in BRAF V600-mutated metastatic melanoma patients: A post hoc analysis of the real-world ELDERLYMEL study. Melanoma Res. 2025;35(3):170-7. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000001020
Supplementary files

