Cancer specialists can treat many types of cancer, including melanoma, with medications that stimulate the body’s own immune system. This type of treatment, known as immunotherapy, is systemic, which means that the drugs travel through the bloodstream to all parts of your body.
As a systemic cancer treatment, immunotherapy is effective in fighting metastatic cancer, which has spread from the original tumor to other areas. Nivolumab (Opdivo) helps shrink tumors, helps patients with advanced melanoma to live longer and decreases the risk of the melanoma coming back after surgery. It is also approved for adjuvant therapy.
Nivolumab blocks the activity of a molecule called PD-1, a protein that prevents T cells from recognizing and attacking inflamed tissues and cancer cells. PD-1 can trick your immune system into overlooking melanoma cells as normal cells.
Nivolumab triggers your immune system’s response to melanoma by blocking the PD-1 protein on T cells. The drug activates T cells so that they can attack melanoma cells anywhere in your body.
Patients with Advanced Melanoma
In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab to treat patients who have advanced stages of melanoma:
Many experts recommend anti-PD-1 therapy, like nivolumab, as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced melanoma. Patients should speak with their physicians about the risks and benefits of various treatment options as first-line treatment.
Adjuvant Therapy of Melanoma
In December 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of nivolumab for the treatment melanoma patients with lymph node involvement or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection. Treatment after surgery is known as adjuvant therapy. The goal of this use of nivolumab is to reduce the risk of melanoma coming back after surgery. Patients should speak with their physicians about the risks and benefits of various treatment options as adjuvant therapy.
Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (into a blood vein).
The goals of using nivolumab include:
Because nivolumab is an antibody that builds up your immune system, it can produce an immunological “memory” in T cells. That means that nivolumab may help your immune system continue to attack melanoma cells even after treatment.
Melanoma treatments, like nivolumab, have side effects, which can sometimes be serious. Patients should talk with their physician to learn more about the side effects of nivolumab and other melanoma treatment options.
Not all treatments work for all melanoma patients, because everyone is different. If you are interested in learning more about nivolumab, here are some questions you should ask your physicians:
Patient Assistant Programs (PAPs) are designed so that you still have access to the treatments you need, in any financial circumstance. Learn more about the manufacturer’s patient assistance program and other options here.
Manufacturer’s Patient Assistance
Learn more about the latest, most effective treatments for patients who have advanced melanoma:
The Melanoma Research Alliance is the largest, non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide. Since 2007, we have directly funded over $131 million in innovative grants to improve prevention, detection, and treatment of melanoma. We have also leveraged an additional $415 million in outside funds for research. Learn more about our funded research.