[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-founder-pioneers-melanoma-treatment-regimen\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-founder-pioneers-melanoma-treatment-regimen\/","headline":"RCCA Founder Andrew Pecora, MD, Pioneers Treatment Regimen That Cuts 5-Year Risk of Advanced Melanoma Recurrence in Half","name":"RCCA Founder Andrew Pecora, MD, Pioneers Treatment Regimen That Cuts 5-Year Risk of Advanced Melanoma Recurrence in Half","description":"RCCA Founder Andrew Pecora, MD, Pioneers Treatment Regimen That Cuts 5-Year Risk of Advanced Melanoma Recurrence in Half October 23, 2026 \u201cUnfortunately, your cancer has returned.\u201dIt\u2019s news that anyone who has been treated for the disease dreads hearing.And it\u2019s news that far fewer people with advanced melanoma will be hearing thanks to groundbreaking work by […]","datePublished":"2026-10-23","dateModified":"2026-10-23","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/#Person","name":"ceastway","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","width":506,"height":228}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/doctor-examines-growth-on-patients-skin.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/doctor-examines-growth-on-patients-skin.jpg","height":483,"width":724},"url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-founder-pioneers-melanoma-treatment-regimen\/","about":["All Cancers"],"wordCount":1297,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRCCA Founder Andrew Pecora, MD, Pioneers Treatment Regimen That Cuts 5-Year Risk of Advanced Melanoma Recurrence in Half\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 23, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cUnfortunately, your cancer has returned.\u201dIt\u2019s news that anyone who has been treated for the disease dreads hearing.And it\u2019s news that far fewer people with advanced melanoma will be hearing thanks to groundbreaking work by an international team of researchers that includes Andrew Pecora, MD, FACP, CPE, founder of Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA). RCCA is a group of more than 90 medical oncologists and hematologists who treat patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders at more than 20 locations near you throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.Dr. Pecora and colleagues at leading cancer centers around the world conducted the KEYNOTE-942 study, which involved 157 people who had undergone surgery to remove advanced-stage skin cancers that had a high likelihood of recurrence. Fifty of those people were treated with pembrolizumab (Keytruda\u00ae), an immunotherapy approved for the treatment of melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, cervical cancer, and other solid tumors. The other 107 people received a combination of pembrolizumab and an investigational agent known as intismeran autogene.\u00a0How the Combination Therapy WorksA long-time pioneer in the development of immunotherapies, Dr. Pecora explains,\u201cIntismeran autogene represents the latest frontier in efforts to harness the power of the patient\u2019s immune system to detect and attack cancer cells.\u201d He explains that the therapy is an individualized treatment that physicians customize for each patient by analyzing tissue and blood samples to map genetic mutations unique to the person\u2019s cancer cells. Using artificial intelligence, scientists then identify specific abnormal proteins, known as neoantigens, capable of triggering an immune response. Genetic instructions for the neoantigens are inserted into an mRNA molecule and the therapy then is administered to the patient via intramuscular injection. The therapy prompts cells to biochemically \u201cdisplay\u201d the neoantigen proteins, enabling specialized immune system cells known as T cells to find and attack cancer cells that have the same mutations.\u00a0Dr. Pecora says that while the science may be complex, the impact on patients is clear-cut. \u201cAfter five years of follow-up, the combination therapy reduced the risk of recurrence by 49% compared to treatment with pembrolizumab alone,\u201d he explains. The board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist continues, \u201cStudy participants had either stage IIIb or stage IV melanoma. In these later-stage skin cancers, the rate of post-surgical recurrence can range from 40% to upwards of 90%, so a treatment that can cut the 5-year risk of recurrence in half represents a significant advance against a disease that is expected to claim more than 8,500 lives in the United States this year.\u201d\u00a0Beyond establishing the efficacy of intismeran autogene plus pembrolizumab, the KEYNOTE-942 reaffirmed the safety profile that the combination demonstrated in earlier research. While all patients in the intismeran plus pembrolizumab group had at least one side effect, as compared to 84% of people in the pembrolizumab group, most of those events were low-grade and self-limited. No patient receiving the combination therapy had a Grade 4 or 5 adverse event, the medical terminology for severe side effects.Reflecting its significance in the fight against melanoma, the KEYNOTE-942 trial was one of the marquee studies featured at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago this June.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThe pace of innovation and the improved outcomes we are achieving, particularly in the last few years, have been incredible, and I am even more excited today than I was 30 years ago about what the future will hold.\u201d  \t\t\t\t \t\t\t-- Andrew Pecora, MD, FACP, CPE\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Next Steps in The Study Dr. Pecora explains that he and the Sarcoma, Connective Tissue, and Cutaneous (Skin) Medical Oncology team at the John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) of Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, already are at work on the Phase III trial needed to secure Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the combination regimen.That study will be the latest of hundreds that Dr. Pecora has conducted since beginning his cancer research career as a medical oncology-hematology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. After several years at that renowned Manhattan center, the North Jersey native came to what was then known as Hackensack Hospital in 1993 to launch the institution\u2019s stem cell transplantation program. Since then, he has served as chairman of JTCC, the medical center\u2019s President of Physician Enterprise and Chief Innovations Officer and, currently, Senior Scientist for the medical center\u2019s Institute for Biomedical Research. In addition, he is Professor of Medicine and Oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine and the founder of several healthcare companies. Dr. Pecora also continues to practice with RCCA, which he founded in 2012 by guiding the merger of 10 separate oncology practices.\u00a0\u201cAlthough I recognized the potential of immunotherapy at the start of my career and made it the focus of my research and clinical practice, I couldn\u2019t have fully imagined the gains we have made with this treatment modality and other cancer therapies. The pace of innovation and the improved outcomes we are achieving, particularly in the last few years, have been incredible, and I am even more excited today than I was 30 years ago about what the future will hold,\u201d Dr. Pecora says.\u00a0Find the Latest Cancer Therapies Near You in NJ, CT, MA, and the Washington, D.C., AreaDr. Pecora is one of more than 90 medical oncologists and hematologists who practice with Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists. RCCA has more than 20 locations near you across New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. RCCA\u2019s cancer specialists see more than 30,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 265,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients\u2019 other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300\u00a0clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide infusion therapy services\u00a0to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions\u2014including\u00a0multiple sclerosis,\u00a0Crohn\u2019s disease,\u00a0asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and\u00a0rheumatoid arthritis\u2014who take intravenously-administered medications.To learn more about RCCA, call 844-346-7222 or contact RCCA.\u00a0\u00a0ReferencesKhattak A, Carlino MS, Meniawy T, et al. Intismeran autogene plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone in high-risk resected melanoma: 5-year update of the randomized Phase IIb KEYNOTE-942 study. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(26):2482-2489.National Cancer Institute. Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the skin. Available at https:\/\/seer.cancer.gov\/statfacts\/html\/melan.html. Accessed September 15, 2026.Tarhini AA, Castellano E, Eljilany I. Treatment of stage III resectable melanoma \u2013 adjuvant and neovadjuvant approaches. Cancer J. 2024;30(2):54-70.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twe are here for you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the\u00a0RCCA location\u00a0nearest you.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequest an appointment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRecommending an Oncologist to Your Patient: How the ACE Framework Can Help\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTelling a patient that she has or may have cancer can be one of the most challenging tasks a physician faces. And what typically follows\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat Is Mantle Cell Lymphoma, and How Is It Treated at RCCA?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMantle cell lymphoma is a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It spreads quickly to new organs and is often diagnosed at a later\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow Does Radiation Therapy Work and What Side Effects Should You Expect?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRadiation therapy is one of the most common treatments provided to patients with cancer. This treatment uses high-energy beams or radiation “seeds” to kill cancer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRELATED ARTICLES\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"RCCA Founder Andrew Pecora, MD, Pioneers Treatment Regimen That Cuts 5-Year Risk of Advanced Melanoma Recurrence in Half","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-founder-pioneers-melanoma-treatment-regimen\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]