Molecular Approaches May Increase Responsiveness to Immunotherapy for Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

Source: Onc Live, May 2022

The recent development of therapeutics which stimulate immune response to tumor cells has revolutionized the treatment landscape for cutaneous melanoma.

Cutaneous melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer with incidence rates increasing each year. Historically, treatment options for patients with metastatic melanoma have been limited, and 5-year survival rates were less than 10% for patients with advanced-stage disease.

However, the recent development of therapeutics which stimulate immune response to tumor cells has revolutionized the treatment landscape for this disease. But although some patients experience a durable response to these treatments, others receive little benefit or develop resistance after initially exhibiting a positive response. For example, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown encouraging, albeit limited, success for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. ICIs are monoclonal antibodies developed to inhibit targets including CTLA-4, with agents such as ipilimumab (Yervoy), and PD-1, with agents including pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo). These agents interact with the immune system to maintain homeostasis and prevent autoimmunity.

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