Dr Mario Sznol presents long-term follow-up results, at the 2013 ASCO Annual meeting, from an expanded phase I study which indicated that nivolumab produces long-lasting responses in patients with stage IV melanoma.

Historical response rates to immunotherapy drugs in advanced melanoma are five to 10 percent, but 30 percent of patients experienced tumor shrinkage in this study. Nivolumab targets the PD-1 receptor, an immune system gatekeeper or “checkpoint” on the surface of T-cells, releasing the brakes on the immune system and boosting its ability to fight off cancer. This study affirms immunotherapy as an important treatment approach for melanoma.

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