title: Ipilimumab (Anti-Ctla-4 Mab) in the treatment of metastatic melanoma: Effectiveness and toxicity management.
abstract: In the last years the onset of new therapies changed the management of malignant melanoma. Anti CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab was the first drug to achieve a significant improvement in survival of advanced stage melanoma. This new therapeutic agent is characterized by a number of side effects that are totally different from those of traditional chemotherapy, mainly caused by the immune system activation. The purpose of this paper is to underline the central role of ipilimumab in the treatment of metastatic melanoma and to characterize related adverse events in terms of incidence, duration and severity of presentation. The early recognition of these side effects is crucial in order to ensure an appropriate management of the toxicities, thus reducing the long term clinical sequelae and the inappropriate treatment discontinuation.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Sciences , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.|b Department of Health Science, "A. Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont , Novara , Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Savoia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Sciences , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Astrua
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Sciences , University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fava
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; D000074324:Ipilimumab
keywords: anti-CTL-A4; immunotherapy; ipilimumab; melanoma treatment; toxicity