Juliane Weilandt, Katharina Diehl, Marthe Lisa Schaarschmidt, Felix Kieker, Bianca Sasama, Melanie Pronk, Jan Ohletz, Andreas Könnecke, Verena Müller, Jochen Utikal, Uwe Hillen, Wolfgang Harth, Wiebke K. Peitsch
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3422

Treatment paradigms for advanced melanoma have changed fundamentally over recent years. A discrete choice experiment was performed to explore patient preferences regarding outcome (overall response rate, 2-year survival rate, progression-free survival, time to response, type of adverse events, probability of adverse event-related treatment discontinuation) and process attributes (frequency and route of administration, frequency of consultations) of modern treatments for melanoma. Mean preferences of 150 patients with melanoma stage IIC–IV were highest for overall response rate (relative importance score (RIS) 26.8) and 2-year survival (RIS 21.6), followed by type of adverse events (RIS 11.7) and probability of adverse event-related treatment discontinuation (RIS 9.2). Interest in overall response rate and 2-year survival declined with increasing age, whereas process attributes gained importance. Participants who had experienced treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors valued overall response rate more highly and worried less about the type of adverse events. In conclusion, patients with advanced melanoma consider efficacy of treatment options most important, followed by safety, but preferences vary with individual and disease-related characteristics.

Treatment paradigms for advanced melanoma have changed substantially during recent years. For patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma in particular, several first-line palliative or adjuvant treatments may be feasible, which differ considerably in terms of efficacy, safety profile and mode of application. A discrete choice experiment was performed to explore the preferences of 150 patients with advanced melanoma regarding outcome and process attributes of modern treatments in 5 German dermato-oncology departments. Mean preferences were highest for overall response and 2-year survival, followed by safety. However, patient preferences varied significantly, depending on their socio-demographic characteristics and treatment experience. Assessing and considering these preferences is fundamental for patient-centred care.

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