Clinical efficacy of rehabilitation measures in patients with melanoma of the skin undergoing immunotherapy

Abstract

Currently one of the urgent problems of oncology is he choice of tactics of rehabilitation measure. Despite the long list of known possible side effects from antitumor therapy, most patients do not receive follow-up and preventive interventions necessary to correct clinically significant consequences. Analysis of clinical effectiveness of complex rehabilitation programs in patients with melanoma of skin receiving immunotherapy. The study included 109 patients with metastatic melanoma, aged 26 to 88 years, who received immunotherapy in the period from 2019 to 2022. The study group (n=54) included patients who received a comprehensive rehabilitation program: physical therapy, nutritional support, general magnetotherapy, psychotherapy sessions without concomitant medications. Patients who did not use rehabilitation programs made up the control group (n=55). The effectiveness of therapy was evaluated in accordance with iRECIST 1.1 criteria. Immuno-mediated toxity of treatment was evaluated according to CTCAE criteria (version 5.0, 2017). To assess the quality of life (QoL), the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was used. The median follow-up of patients was 20 weeks in the study group, 19 weeks in the control group. Stabilization of the disease was achieved in 21 (38.9%) patients of the study group and 23 (41.8%) patients of the control group; disease progression in both groups was comparable: 10 (18.5%) - in the study group, 12 (21.8%) - in the control group. Adverse events of therapy were detected in 39 (72.2%) patients of the study group, 46 (83.6%) patients of the control group. All registered adverse events according to CTCAE 5.0 criteria were of grade I-II. No serious adverse events of the IV degree were detected during the study period. The introduction of comprehensive rehabilitation programs in the treatment of patients with melanoma shows its effectiveness and reduced toxicity of immunotherapy, however, there are a number of important issues that require further resolution.