Predictive and prognostic effect of ABO blood group on immune checkpoint inhibitors

BACKGROUND: The relationship of the ABO blood group system with the immune response is known, but its relationship with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has not been clearly investigated until now. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the relationship between different blood groups and nivolumab treatment response in patients with advanced malignant melanoma was investigated. METHODS: The data of patients who used nivolumab for advanced malignant melanoma between April 2018 and April 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients were included in the study. In the progression-free survival (PFS) analysis according to blood groups, it was 3.9 months, 16.1 months, 20.0 months and 3.0 months for A, B, AB and O, respectively (p= 0.1). Overall survival (OS) analysis according to blood groups was 5.1 months, 25.0 months, 20.0 months and 9.3 months for A, B, AB and O, respectively (p= 0.1). The B antigen group (B or AB) had significantly longer PFS and OS than the non-B antigen group (A or O) (16.1 vs. 3.5 months for PFS, respectively, p= 0.03; 20.0 vs. 7.4 months for OS, respectively, p= 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of B antigen provides a significant advantage in terms of survival in patients using ICIs for advanced melanoma.

ULTRA-DILUTED VISCUM ALBUM IN THE TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS MELANOMA IN A DOG (CANIS FAMILIARIS) - CASE REPORT

Background: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the tumors with the highest incidence in middle-aged dogs. Effective systemic treatments for advanced malignant melanoma are lacking, and survival is about 1 to 3 months. Viscum album therapy is among the complementary therapies against cancer. A 7-year-old Dogue de Bordeaux female d Methods: og. The main complaint was an ulcerated lesion in the right anterior leg. The animal had already been diagnosed with malignant cutaneous melanoma 11 months before. Extensive ulcerated lesions in the fourth digit of the right anterior leg, mandibular region, and labial commissures were observed for more than nine months, with no resolution of the initial condition. Pulmonary metastasis in the left caudal lobe, two evolving breast tumors, and several blackish nodular lesions spread through the abdomen, lower eyelids, and auricular pavilions were already diagnosed. An injectable, -3 homeopathic treatment was prescribed and consisted of an intravenous application of Viscum album D3 (1x10 ) and -3 -6 auto-hemotherapy, once a week. At home, the tutor performed applications of Viscum album D3 (1x10 ), D6 (1x10 ), D12 -12 -30 (1x10 ), D30 (1x10 ), in combinations, SID, subcutaneously, three times a week. The protocol administ Conclusion: ered to the patient in this study was successful in its purpose. It healed the wounds and improved the patient's quality of life. Other studies must be conducted, under the same conditions, to better elucidate the results obtained in the present study.

Outcomes of Advanced Malignant Melanoma in a South African Public Health Sector Cohort: The Urgent Need for Effective Therapy

Background: Immunotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy have revolutionised the treatment of malignant melanoma however for South Africas public health sector patient population these treatment modalities are far out of reach and chemotherapy remains the only treatment option. Aim: To evaluate the outcomes of advanced melanoma and determine the need for therapies other than conventional chemotherapy in South Africas public health sector. Setting: The Department of Medical Oncology Steve Biko Academic hospital (SBAH) Pretoria South Africa. Methods: Files of patients with advanced malignant melanoma managed at SBAH from 01 January 2009 to 31 December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: One hundred files meeting the inclusion criteria were analysed 24 with regional (stage III) and 76 with metastatic (stage IV) disease. 23 (96%) patients with regional disease didnt receive adjuvant therapy and had a median time to progression (mTTP) of 12 months (95%CI; 8.9-15.0). Within the metastatic melanoma cohort 34 (79.1%) patients received chemotherapy and had a median overall survival (mOS) of 5 months (95% CI; 4.3-5.6) while patients that didnt receive chemotherapy had a mOS of 2 months (95% CI; 0.8-3.1) (p=0.213). Conclusion: These results reaffirm the impotent effects of chemotherapy in treating malignant melanoma and it is imperative that South Africas public health sector expands its armamentarium against this lethal disease.

Serum 5-S-cysteinyl-dopa levels as a predictive marker for the efficacy of nivolumab in advanced malignant melanoma

Purpose: With the recent developments in novel molecular targeted therapy such as immune-checkpoint blockades, serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors, the prognosis of advanced malignant melanoma has been improving. 5-S-cysteinyl-dopa (5-S-CD), a precursor of pheomelanin, has been previously revealed to be a useful biomarker for advanced-stage malignant melanoma, especially in patients with distant metastases. Here, we aimed to assess and compare the utility of serum 5-S-CD and lactate dehydrogenase levels as markers for predicting the effects of nivolumab in advanced malignant melanoma. Methods: Baseline serum 5-S-CD and lactate dehydrogenase levels in patients with unresectable stage IIIC and IV malignant melanoma treated with nivolumab ( n = 21) were analyzed to determine their utility as predictive markers for survival. We also analyzed the prognostic value of these markers among patients with only stage IV malignant melanoma ( n = 17). Results: Our analysis showed that patients with baseline serum 5-S-CD levels >25.0 nmol/L had significantly poor prognosis. In contrast, serum lactate dehydrogenase levels at the upper limit of the normal range did not exhibit such changes. Conclusions: Serum 5-S-CD levels have the potential to be an excellent predictive marker for the efficacy of nivolumab therapy in patients with advanced malignant melanoma.