Patient Preferences for Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma

Aim: To investigate patient preferences for clinical attributes of first-line metastatic melanoma treatments. Materials & methods: A discrete-choice experiment and best–worst scaling exercise were used to assess relative preferences for treatment attributes. Results: The 200 survey respondents had distinct preferences. Avoiding a 30% risk of colitis or hormone gland problems and avoiding severe fever were more important to respondents than avoiding a 20% risk of extreme sun sensitivity (p < 0.05). Patients preferred taking pills to receiving intravenous infusions in a clinic. When attributes were combined, approximately 85% of respondents preferred a risk profile similar to targeted therapy over a profile similar to immunotherapy, holding efficacy constant. Conclusion: Taking patient preferences into account can help patients get the full benefit from metastatic melanoma therapies.