Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42426479›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2026

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Surgical Feasibility and Outcomes Following Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Resectable Stage III and IV Melanoma.

T Read, G Nair, G Velli, M David, G Bayley, Wen Xu, A Barbour, B M Smithers, V Atkinson

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Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

T ReadPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia. tavis.read@gmail.com.
G NairPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
G VelliPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
M DavidThe Daffodil Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
G BayleyPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
Wen XuPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
A BarbourThe University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Southern Clinical Division, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
B M SmithersPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
V AtkinsonPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has demonstrated high pathological response rates in resectable stage III melanoma and is increasingly used for selected patients with low-volume stage IV disease. However, the surgical and perioperative implications remain incompletely defined. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate oncologic, surgical, and immune-related outcomes following neoadjuvant ICI and curative-intent surgery. MATERIALS AND

methodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, were systemically searched for both prospective and retrospective studies including adults with resectable stage III or oligometastatic stage IV melanoma treated with neoadjuvant ICI followed by planned surgery. Outcomes included pathological response, recurrence, failure or delay to surgery, perioperative complications, and treatment-related adverse events. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses.

resultsA total of 20 studies comprising 1384 patients were included. The pooled proportions of pathological complete response were 0.33 (CI 0.26-0.40), major pathological response 0.46 (CI 0.38-0.54), and overall pathological response 0.59 (CI 0.51-0.67). Pathological nonresponse occurred in 0.30 (CI 0.25-0.36). Failure or delay to surgery occurred in 0.09 (CI 0.07-0.12), with disease progression during neoadjuvant therapy reported in 0.06 (CI 0.04-0.10). Major perioperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ III) occurred in 0.08 (CI 0.05-0.13), while major treatment-related toxicities (CTCAE grade ≥ III) occurred in 0.25 (CI 0.18-0.34). Comparative analyses demonstrated similar perioperative complication rates between neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches, with lower recurrence risk favoring neoadjuvant therapy (p < 0.01).

conclusionsNeoadjuvant ICI produces substantial pathological responses while preserving surgical feasibility in resectable stage III and selected stage IV melanoma. Operative morbidity appears acceptable; however, systemic toxicity is common, and perioperative reporting remains heterogeneous.

Indexed as

ImmunotherapyMetastatic melanomaNeoadjuvantSurgeryTreatment outcomes

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.