The findings of a multicentre, open-label, randomized phase II study demonstrate the efficacy of combined inhibition of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA-4) immune checkpoints with nivolumab and ipilimumab, respectively, in patients with melanoma brain metastases. Of 36 patients who received combination immunotherapy, 16 (46%) had intracranial responses versus 5 (20%) of the patients who received nivolumab alone. Patients with neurological symptoms were assigned to a separate treatment group, of which only one patient (6%) had a response to nivolumab monotherapy. Patients receiving combination therapy had an increased risk of grade 3–4 adverse events (54%), versus 16% and 12% of patients receiving nivolumab alone.
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Original Article
Long, G. V. et al. Combination nivolumab and ipilimumab or nivolumab alone in melanoma brain metastases: a multicentre randomised phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30139-6 (2018)
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Combination effective against brain metastases. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 15, 402 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-018-0023-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-018-0023-1