Onkologie. 2020:14(1):40-44 | DOI: 10.36290/xon.2020.011

Systemic treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma with anti-PD-1 antibodies

David Šulc

Onkologické oddělení Masarykovy nemocnice Ústí nad Labem

Uveal melanoma is the most common form of ocular melanoma. The disease is usually detected when in a localized stage; in 50% of cases, however, it metastasizes, predominantly into the liver, and the prognosis is very unfavourable. Metastatic disease tends to be disseminated and is not manageable with surgery or other locoregional therapies. As a result, there is a need for finding an effective systemic treatment for metastatic uveal melanoma. The treatment options are, however, very limited. Both chemotherapy and modern agents, such as immunotherapeutic drugs and antiBRAF/MEK therapy that are available for systemic treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma, have limited efficacy in uveal melanoma. Nevertheless, isolated cases of therapeutic responses to treatment with anti-PD-1 antibodies, particularly with pembrolizumab, have been described. This paper presents the outcomes in our cohort of four patients with metastatic malignant melanoma of ocular origin who were treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies.

Keywords: uveal melanoma, systemic treatment, immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, nivolumab.

Received: October 15, 2019; Revised: January 19, 2020; Accepted: January 22, 2020; Prepublished online: January 22, 2020; Published: March 1, 2020  Show citation