In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the effect of nivolumab in treating malignant skin cancer.
Some background
Nivolumab (Opdivo) is a man-made immune cell made to attack a specific disease that has been approved for treating malignant skin cancer (cancer that has spread throughout the body). Nivolumab functions by attaching to a protein (PD-1) which is found on healthy immune cells. It also targets a protein (PD-L1) found on skin cancer cells.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nivolumab in malignant skin cancer.
Patients who had PD-L1 protein on their tumors had a 44% response rate to treatment compared to patients who did not have PD-L1 tumors (17%). Patients with PD-L1 tumors had an increased progression-free survival (patient did not experience cancer recurrence following treatment) of 9.1 months compared to 2 months in patients who did not have PD-L1 tumors and had an average overall survival (patients who did not die from skin cancer following treatment) of 21.1 months compared to 12.5 months in patients who did not have PD-L1 tumors.
In a large study involving 107 patients treated with nivolumab, 30.8% of patients responded to treatment, 6.5% experienced stable disease for 6 months (tumor remains the same after treatment with no progression or shrinkage). The average overall survival (patients who did not die from skin cancer following treatment) was 16.8 months and progression-free survival was 3.7 months.
In a phase II study, negative side-effects to treatment (such as skin rash, fatigue, diarrhea, hepatitis, pneumonia etc) occurred in 85.7% of patients who were given nivolumab every 3 weeks. In a phase I study, 84.1% of patients experienced side-effects to treatment, where 54% of patients experienced skin disorders, stomach, intestine and hormonal problems.
The bottom line
The authors conclude that nivolumab is a promising option for the treatment of malignant skin cancer.
The fine print
This was a compilation of studies where there was no standard testing applied which may have lead to biased results.
What’s next?
If you are considering nivolumab treatment please consult your doctor for potential benefits and risks.
Published By :
Drugs
Date :
Jul 15, 2014
