From the Guidelines
Immunotherapy for Brain Cancer (Glioma) Immunotherapy drugs such as Nivolumab (Opdivo) and Ipilimumab (Yervoy) have shown promise in treating brain cancer, specifically in patients with melanoma and brain metastases 1.
- Nivolumab is typically administered at a dose of 240mg intravenously every 2 weeks.
- Ipilimumab is often used in combination with Nivolumab, with a dose of 3mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks for 4 doses, followed by Nivolumab 240mg intravenously every 2 weeks 1. However, the use of immunotherapy in glioma patients is still being researched, and the evidence is not as strong as it is for melanoma patients with brain metastases.
- A study on the treatment of glioblastoma found that Nivolumab did not improve overall survival in patients with MGMT promoter-unmethylated glioblastoma 1. Despite this, immunotherapy remains a potential treatment option for brain cancer patients, and further research is needed to fully understand its benefits and limitations. It's essential to consult a healthcare professional for personalized treatment recommendations, as the most effective treatment plan may vary depending on the individual's specific condition, including the type and stage of brain cancer.
From the Research
Immunotherapy Drugs for Brain Cancer (Glioma)
The following immunotherapy drugs have been explored for the treatment of brain cancer, specifically glioma:
- Checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab 2, 3
- Vaccine therapy 2
- Cellular immunotherapy 2
- Viral immunotherapy 2
- PD-1 inhibitors, including pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and cemiplimab 4
- PD-L1 inhibitor, atezolizumab 4
- CTLA-4 inhibitor, ipilimumab 4
- Camrelizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor 5
Specific Examples of Immunotherapy Drugs
Some specific examples of immunotherapy drugs used to treat brain cancer include:
- Nivolumab, which has been shown to have no new safety concerns in brain tumors and no neurotoxicity 3
- Pembrolizumab, which has been suggested to have a potential role as a "neoadjuvant" treatment in resectable recurrent glioblastoma 3
- Camrelizumab, which has been used in combination with lenvatinib to treat brain metastasis from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma 5
Ongoing Research and Development
Ongoing research and development are focused on improving the efficacy of immunotherapy in treating brain cancer, including:
- Investigating the role of predictive biomarkers, such as PD-L1, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and tumor mutation burden 4
- Exploring new immune targets and neoantigens for cancer immunotherapy and precision medicine 6
- Developing novel strategies for identifying new immune targets and mutation-derived antigens for cancer immunotherapy 6