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The incidence of cancer has been increasing worldwide. Melanoma is known to be one of the most immunogenic malignancies in humans. In recent years innovative and promising therapeutic strategies that modulate the immune response or target various intracellular pathways in melanoma have been developed. Recently new drugs which improved overall survival in phase III regulatory studies namely, ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4 antibody) and vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor) have been approved in Europe and the USA, and so has a combination of dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and trametinib (MEK inhibitor) in the USA for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. A number of novel immunotherapy strategies including anti-PD-1, anti-PD-1L or cancer vaccines show a durable high response rate in advanced melanoma patients, however efficacy of these drugs needs to be confirmed in phase III studies. Results from preclinical studies and early clinical trials indicate a high potential for combining immunotherapy with other treatment strategies - currently many new drug combinations are being evaluated in phase I or II in patients with metastatic melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: The therapeutic landscape for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has recently expanded with the development of effective and targeted immunotherapy. Here, we provide an overview of the role of immunotherapy in the management of advanced cutaneous carcinomas., Recent Findings: Several agents were recently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. However, recent approvals in tissue-agnostic indications may also benefit other NMSCs including cutaneous adnexal solid tumors with high tumor mutation burdens or microsatellite instability. Furthermore, while FDA-approved indications will likely continue to expand, continued studies are needed to support the role of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and refractory settings. Immunotherapy is emerging as the standard of care for several advanced NMSCs not amenable to surgery and radiation. Ongoing evaluation of the clinical trial landscape is needed to optimize enrollment and ensure continued innovation., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Detailed study of ophthalmic immune-related adverse events (AEs), including determination of incidence and recurrence rates, is of integral importance in cancer immunotherapy to inform management and treatment guidelines., Design: Retrospective registry study., Participants: Patients newly diagnosed with ophthalmic immune-related AEs between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017, in the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS®) Registry., Methods: Data were collected from electronic health records of IRIS® Registry participating ophthalmology practices. Patients with select ophthalmic immune-related AEs were identified by International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes. The primary exposure of interest was prior initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)., Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of ophthalmic immune-related AEs within 1 year after initiation of ICI therapy was determined. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were derived by comparing incidence of ophthalmic immune-related AEs after ICIs versus rates of the same ocular complications in patients not taking ICIs in the entire registry population. Rates of ophthalmic immune-related AEs in patients with a past history of ocular inflammation or other specific ophthalmic condition before initiation of ICIs were examined further., Results: A total of 3123 patients who received anti-CTLA-4 or anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapy were identified, 112 of whom demonstrated an ophthalmic immune-related AE. Incidence rates for anterior uveitis, the most common ophthalmic immune-related AE, were 8209 per 100 000 for ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4), 2542 per 100 000 for nivolumab (anti-PD-1), 2451 per 100 000 for pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1), 5556 per 100 000 for ipilimumab plus nivolumab, and 3740 per 100 000 among all ICIs. Rates of ophthalmic immune-related AEs among patients receiving ICI therapy were higher compared with baseline rates in the general registry population (anterior uveitis IRR, 13.9; other uveitis IRR, 43.0; papilledema IRR, 38.3). Patients with a history of uveitis or other ocular inflammatory condition demonstrated high recurrence rates of ophthalmic immune-related AEs after initiating ICIs (up to 51.1%)., Conclusions: For patients initiating ICI therapy, early coordination with ophthalmic subspecialist care is important because rates of ophthalmic immune-related AEs are elevated compared with ocular complication rates in the entire registry population and patients with a history of prior autoimmune ocular disease are at high risk of recurrence of ocular complications., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)