We are very pleased to share with our community that the adjuvant treatment Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with stage IIB or IIC melanoma following complete resection has received a positive recommendation from pCODR (Pan Canadian Oncology Drug Review).  

This is a significant victory in the Canadian melanoma treatment landscape as this is the first adjuvant therapy for earlier stage patients. Until now, surgery for stage IIB or IIC melanoma was the intended treatment, however, in some cases, patients are left with a poor prognosis and the risk of a recurrence. Because of this, we are so pleased that there is now a treatment option that can reduce the likelihood of melanoma recurrence for stage IIB and IIC patients and one that is not associated with unmanageable side effects. These were previously significant unmet needs of this patient population, and it is reassuring to see progress being made. 

There are still some ways to go until approval is finalized and we will ensure to keep our community informed of all updates in this process. We are very hopeful with this important step towards preventing the spread of disease and recurrence and would like to thank those who provided patient input for this drug review.  

Melanoma Canada submitted to pCODR on behalf of our community, to make Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) available for stage IIB and stage IIC patients; we to received input from 172 melanoma patients and 15 caregivers. Your input helped to highlight the unmet need for treatment options to prevent the recurrence of disease, and the lack of treatment options beyond surgery in Canada. For this, we are grateful.  

To read the full CADTH review, please click here