Recently, metastatic melanoma has known real therapeutic improvement. Since 2011, 8 drugs have been approved for advanced melanoma such as immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors. Chemotherapy is no longer used in the first setting of metastatic melanoma treatment. In 2010, the advent of ipilimumab, an anti CTLA 4 inhibitor, changed the scenario and in the following years, many studies confirmed the efficacy of nivolumab and pembrolizumab, two anti PD 1 inhibitors, as a first line treatment. Furthermore, the combination of first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab might lead to improved outcomes compared with first-line ipilimumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma. The results suggest encouraging survival outcomes with immunotherapy in this population of patients. However, the management of tumoral response and immune related toxicity, patient selection (what would be the most effective therapy for an individual patient?) are a real challenge.
Keywords: Clinical trials; Essai clinique; Ipilimumab; Nivolumab; Pembrolizumab.
© 2016 Société Française du Cancer. Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.