Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors either alone or in combination for the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma.

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) either alone or in combination for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. The data showed that nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) combination therapy was more effective than nivolumab or ipilimumab alone for the treatment of these patients.

Melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer. It has a high tendency to spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). The standard treatment for advanced melanoma is a combination of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical removal of tumors, and radiation therapy.

Immunotherapy uses the body’s own system to fight against cancer cells. Tumor cells try to avoid death by switching off our immune system. They bind to proteins on the surface of the immune cells such as PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4. ICIs such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab, and ipilimumab block these interactions and turn on the immune system to attack and kill the cancer cells. However, there are few studies comparing the effectiveness and safety of ICIs either alone or in combination for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma.

This study analyzed 9 studies that involved patients with advanced melanoma. Patients were treated with either nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy or with nivolumab or ipilimumab alone.

Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy showed significantly longer overall survival compared to nivolumab or ipilimumab alone. Patients treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy were 35% more likely to have a better survival than patients treated with nivolumab or ipilimumab alone. 

Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy showed significantly longer survival without cancer worsening compared to nivolumab or ipilimumab alone. Patients treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy were 52% more likely to survive without cancer worsening than patients treated with nivolumab or ipilimumab alone.

Patients treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy were 2.15 times more likely to have a better objective response rate (ORR; partial or complete disappearance of cancer cells)  than patients treated with nivolumab or ipilimumab alone.

Side effects were significantly lower with nivolumab or ipilimumab alone compared to nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy.

This study concluded that nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy was more effective than nivolumab or ipilimumab alone for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma.

This study looked back in time at medical records. The studies analyzed had different follow-up periods.