FDA Approves Opdivo® (nivolumab) as Adjuvant Treatment for Eligible Patients with Completely Resected Stage IIB or Stage IIC Melanoma

“Following surgical removal of melanoma, patients may believe they are free of disease,” said John M. Kirkwood, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Melanoma Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “However, within five years of diagnosis, one-third of patients with surgically resected stage IIB and nearly one-half of patients with surgically resected IIC melanoma see their cancer return, underscoring the need for additional treatment options that may help reduce the risk of cancer coming back.4 The significant recurrence-free survival improvement observed with nivolumab in CheckMate -76K is an important step forward for these patients.”