Singleton Hospital trial leads to "spectacular” leap in melanoma survival rates

The Cancer Institute at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, supported by Health and Care Research Wales, has played an important role in a global trial which has transformed treatment and survival rates for a form of skin cancer. 

The trial involved patients suffering from metastatic melanoma, who were given two immunotherapy drugs, Ipilimumab and Nivolumab, instead of chemotherapy, with remarkable results. One group received Ipilimumab, which was standard treatment at that time; a second group was given Nivolumab on its own, and a third group received the two drugs together. 

Five years after the trial, analysis showed 53 per cent of the patients who received the combination of drugs were still alive. Earlier this year, the 10-year analysis showed that 43 per cent of patients with the combined treatment were still alive. 

The Institute recruited a total of 18 patients, putting it in the top ten recruiting centres to take part. 

Professor John Wagstaff, who has since retired from the Cancer Institute, was co-author on all publications concerning the trial and said the results were “quite spectacular”: 

The results were quite spectacular. With the combination treatment, the shrinkage rates were up at around 65 per cent. As time went by, it became clear that the remissions we were seeing with these treatments were much better than what we were seeing previously.” 

Health and Care Research Wales supports cancer research across Swansea Bay University Health Board, with the Institute operating from a dedicated clinical trials suite in Singleton Hospital. It was one of five UK sites to take part in CheckMate 067 into metastatic melanoma, skin cancer which has spread around the body. 

Dr Nicola Williams, National Head of Support and Delivery at Health and Care Research Wales, added: “This groundbreaking trial demonstrates the power of research to transform survival rates for this type of cancer, giving hope to patients across the world.  

“Singleton Hospital has become one of the UK’s leading cancer research sites, with the capacity to have as many as 30 trials running at any one time and a hugely successful track record for recruiting patients. Health and Care Research Wales is very proud to have supported the growth of cancer research within the health board."