Response to Stahlie et al regarding “A systematic review and meta‐analysis of locoregional treatments for in‐transit melanoma”

To the Editor, We wish to thank Stahlie et al1 for their interest in our article. We did not include intralesional talimogene laherparepvec (T‐VEC) therapy in our analysis as we focused on locoregional treatments available in Australia and New Zealand. However, we commend them on highlighting the promising clinical results for T‐VEC. Since completing our systematic review, four studies have been published and these underscore the value of this treatment for patients with advanced disease.2-5 Additionally, the combination of T‐VEC with systemic immunotherapies including pembrolizumab will provide further evidence concerning their efficacy and safety profiles and preliminary results support this approach.6 Such combinations will also generate novel data that further define the survival outcomes of these patients.

[1]  K. Harrington,et al.  Final analyses of OPTiM: a randomized phase III trial of talimogene laherparepvec versus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in unresectable stage III–IV melanoma , 2019, Journal of Immunotherapy for Cancer.

[2]  L. Na,et al.  Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for in-transit melanoma. , 2019, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

[3]  W. V. van Houdt,et al.  High response rates for T‐VEC in early metastatic melanoma (stage IIIB/C‐IVM1a) , 2019, International journal of cancer.

[4]  H. Soyer,et al.  A systematic review and meta‐analysis of locoregional treatments for in‐transit melanoma , 2019, Journal of surgical oncology.

[5]  James X. Sun,et al.  Real-World Outcomes of Talimogene Laherparepvec Therapy: A Multi-Institutional Experience. , 2019, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[6]  H. Kroon,et al.  Isolated Limb Infusion and Isolated Limb Perfusion for Melanoma: Can the Outcomes of these Procedures be Compared? , 2018, Annals of Surgical Oncology.

[7]  J. Zager,et al.  Talimogene Laherparepvec (TVEC) for the Treatment of Advanced Melanoma: A Single-Institution Experience , 2018, Annals of Surgical Oncology.

[8]  C. Tannenbaum,et al.  Talimogene Laherparepvec combined with anti-PD-1 based immunotherapy for unresectable stage III-IV melanoma: a case series , 2018, Journal of Immunotherapy for Cancer.

[9]  M. Wouters,et al.  Isolated Limb Perfusion for Melanoma is Safe and Effective in Elderly Patients , 2017, Annals of Surgical Oncology.