Mario Sznol, MD

Mario Sznol, MD, professor of medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the role of high-dose IL-2 for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

There is still a role for high-dose IL-2 in RCC.

Anti-PD-1 agents are active, but a different population of patients may respond to high-dose IL-2.

Both agents are necessary to achieve durable remissions.

If combinations with anti-PD-1 agents prove to be active, IL-2 may be moved to the second- or third-line.

Videos

The Role of High-Dose IL-2 in RCC

Mario Sznol, MD, professor, Internal Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the potential for immunotherapy combinations for the treatment of melanoma.

Read about checkpoint strategies for the treatment of melanoma > >

Articles

Immunotherapy Combinations for the Treatment of Melanoma

Mario Sznol, MD, professor, Internal Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses a phase I trial that examined the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma. The data presented at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting was an updated survival and clinical activity analysis in initially enrolled cohorts and activity by BRAF mutation status.

In this trial, ipilimumab was held at a fixed dose of 3 mg/kg while nivolumab was escalated from 0.3 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg. The drugs were given together every 3 weeks for a total of 4 doses.

Initial results, presented at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting, demonstrated an objective response rate of 40% and an 80% survival rate at 1 year.

With another year of follow-up, researchers showed a 1-year survival of 85%, 2-year survival rate of 79%, and median survival of 40 months in the first 53 patients.

Mario Sznol, MD, professor, Internal Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, discusses a phase I trial that examined the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma. The data presented at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting was an updated survival and clinical activity analysis in initially enrolled cohorts and activity by BRAF mutation status.


Combining Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for the Treatment of Advanced Melanoma

Mario Sznol, MD, a professor of medical oncology at the Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut, discusses the long-term follow-up results from a phase I trial investigating the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab.

In patients with previously treated melanoma, overall survival was 16.8 months, which compares well to other agents, Sznol suggests. Objective response rates were 31% with a median duration of response around 2 years, which are very high numbers, Sznol notes.

Nivolumab is a very well tolerated drug, Sznol says. The rates of grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) were 14% with 5% experiencing select immune-related AEs. Only 6% of patients discontinued treatment due to toxicity. Pneumonitis caused concerns in earlier trials; however, proper side effect management prevented it from occurring.

Additional activity was observed in several patients outside of those classified by RECIST criteria. A prolongation in stable disease was observed in 11% of patients with 4 patients experiencing unconventional responses, characterized by tumor growth followed by shrinkage. These data will ultimately be reflected in the survival curve in the future phase III trial.

In patients with previously treated melanoma, overall survival was 16.8 months with nivolumab

Treatment with nivolumab resulted in a 31% objective response rate with a median duration of response of approximately 2 years

Grade 3/4 AEs occurred in 14% of patients with 5% experiencing select immune-related AEs and 6% discontinuing treatment

Pneumonitis was effectively managed and did not cause additional mortality

Additional activity was observed in several patients outside of those classified by RECIST criteria

Mario Sznol, MD, from the Yale Cancer Center, discusses the long-term follow-up results from a phase I trial investigating the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab.

Mario Sznol, MD | Authors

Articles

The Role of High-Dose IL-2 in RCC

Immunotherapy Combinations for the Treatment of Melanoma

Combining Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for the Treatment of Advanced Melanoma

The Efficacy of Nivolumab in Advanced Melanoma