Newman, in this DCVax-L trial, progression data was mostly useless and I agree that should the decision not to use mPFS was correct.
However, I don't agree that for our trials only long term survival stats should be considered.
For example, in the DCVax-L trial, the mOS of the "intend to crossover group" is likely to be around 24 months which is spectacular because it may be about 7-8 months longer than the mOS ofvthe ECAs. However, I suspect that after 30 months on trial, the number of living crossovers has most likely diminished and I suspect that few of those crossovers survived 5 years. All those stats are important because they may suggest what still has to be done to further increase the longevity of that group.
OTOH, the mOS of the treatment group was 2.5 months longer than that of the ECAs which was a statistically significant improvement but did not seem spectacular until we factored in the 13% treatment patients who survived for 5(+) years. Furthermore, 8 of the 131 unmethylated treatment patients (6.1%) survived 5(+) years despite the fact that the mOS of that group was only 0.3 months longer than the mOS of the unmethylated ECAs.
However, I believe that all that will be academic because the combo treatments of DC adjuvants like keytruda, poly ICLC etc. will catapult