Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are currently the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. We investigated the value of positron emission tomography (PET) response criteria to assess the therapeutic response to first-line ICI in this clinical context and explore the potential contribution of total tumor metabolic volume (TMTV) analysis.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in patients treated with first-line ICI for advanced or metastatic melanoma, with 18F-FDG PET/CT performed at baseline and 3 months after starting treatment. Patients' metabolic response was classified according to PERCIST5 and imPERCIST 5 criteria. TMTV was recorded for each examination.
Results: Twenty-nine patients were included. The median overall survival (OS) was 51.2 months (IQR 13.6-not reached), and the OS rate at 2 years was 58.6%. Patients classified as responders (complete and partial response) had a 90.9% 2-year OS rate versus 38.9% for non-responders (stable disease and progressive disease) (p = 0.03), for PERCIST5 and imPERCIST 5 criteria. The median change in metabolic volume was 9.8% (IQR -59-+140%). No significant correlation between OS and changes in TMTV was found.
Conclusion: The evaluation of response to immunotherapy using metabolic imaging with PERCIST5 and imPERCIST5 was significantly associated with OS in patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma.
Keywords: FDG PET; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immunotherapy; melanoma; therapeutic response.