Combination Immunotherapy: Potential Cure for Melanoma

A seven-year follow-up study published in ‘The Lancet Oncology’ in February 2025 suggests that a combination immunotherapy could cure more than 50% of patients with advanced melanoma that has spread to the brain.

Key Findings

Long-term Disease Control: Over 50% of patients who received the combination therapy as a first-line treatment achieved sustained remission.
Survival Improvement: The overall survival rate was 48%, increasing to 51% among those treated upfront.
Study Details: Conducted between 2014 and 2017, the trial involved 79 patients receiving either combination checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (ipilimumab + nivolumab) or single-agent nivolumab.
Progression-Free Survival: 42% with combination therapy vs. 15% with nivolumab alone.
New Standard of Care: Lead researcher emphasized that these results justify making combination immunotherapy the standard treatment for melanoma brain metastases.