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Abstract
As recently as 10 years ago, a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma was considered fatal, with a prognosis of typically 6 months or less from diagnosis. The development of checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab and nivolumab, which modulate the effects of the CTLA-4 and PD-1, respectively, has revolutionized outcomes for these patients. Monotherapy improves metastatic disease survival, but dual therapy provides greater benefit with 58% of patients alive at 3 years. Combination immunotherapy is even active in brain metastases. In the adjuvant setting, data show that at 1 year over 70% patients remain disease-free with PD-1 blockade. Immunotherapy is generally safe and well tolerated. However, treatment-related endocrinopathies require long-term medications. Nowadays, advanced cutaneous melanoma is a more manageable disease.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author A Pavlick has been a consultant for BMS and has recieved research funding from BMS, but payments made to NYU. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilised in the production of this manuscript.
Company review
In addition to the peer-review process, with the authors’ consent, the manufacturer of the product discussed in this article was given the opportunity to review the manuscript for factual accuracy. Changes were made by the authors at their discretion and based on scientific or editorial merit only. The authors maintained full control over the manuscript, including content, wording and conclusion.