Nivolumab in the treatment of malignant melanoma: review of the literature.
Nivolumab was developed as a monoclonal antibody against programmed death receptor-1, an immune checkpoint inhibitor which negatively regulates T-cell proliferation and activation. Intravenous administration of nivolumab was approved for the treatment of unresectable malignant melanoma in 2014 in Japan. When advanced melanoma patients were treated with nivolumab, median overall survival became longer. Overall survival rate was significantly better in nivolumab-treated melanoma patients than dacarbazine-treated melanoma patients. Nivolumab had an acceptable long-term tolerability profile, with 22% of patients experiencing grade 3 or 4 adverse events related to the drug. Therefore, nivolumab can become an alternative therapy for advanced malignant melanoma.
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Emi
E
Mashima
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Akiha
A
Inoue
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yumiko
Y
Sakuragi
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Takashi
T
Yamaguchi
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Natsuko
N
Sasaki
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yoko
Y
Hara
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Omoto
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Shun
S
Ohmori
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Sanehito
S
Haruyama
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yu
Y
Sawada
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Manabu
M
Yoshioka
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Nishio
Department of Dermatology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Motonobu
M
Nakamura
PD-1; PD-L1; monoclonal antibody