Journal for immunotherapy of cancer
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J Immunother Cancer · Jul 2018
Case ReportsDelayed onset of neurosarcoidosis after concurrent ipilimumab/nivolumab therapy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the treatment landscape for many cancers, including metastatic melanoma, but have also opened the door for a diverse variety of immune-related adverse effects. ⋯ Immune-related adverse effects often occur within 3-6 months of receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, with some reports of late toxicity. This report highlights a case of probable neurosarcoidosis nearly a year after discontinuation of immune checkpoint therapy. The potential for durable responses after discontinuation of therapy also likely underscores a potential for late toxicity. In patients presenting with new or unexplained symptoms after checkpoint inhibitor therapy, the index of suspicion for an immune-related adverse effect should remain high, irrespective of timing.
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J Immunother Cancer · Jul 2018
Efficacy of metformin in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA-4) in metastatic malignant melanoma.
Metformin is one of the biguanides commonly used in patients with type II Diabetes Mellitus. Apart from its hypoglycemic properties, metformin also inhibits the cell cycle by restricting protein synthesis and cell proliferation via regulating the LKB1/AMPL pathway. Furthermore, it also enhances the PD-1 blockade through a reduction of tumor hypoxia. Metformin has shown a significant favorable impact on treatment-related outcomes in solid tumors, but these outcomes have not been replicated in the limited clinical studies done on malignant melanoma. Moreover, none of these studies have reported on the efficacy of the combined use of metformin and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ⋯ We have observed favorable treatment-related outcomes (ORR, DCR, median PFS and median OS) in patients who have received metformin in combination with ICIs without reaching significance, probably, due to small sample size. Hence, large prospective clinical trials are required to study the synergistic effect of metformin in combination with ICIs before it can be recommended as routine additive therapy.