Immunogenicity and Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Patients with Melanoma Treated with Immunotherapy.

The BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has a proven efficacy and a favorable safety profile. In cancer patients under immunotherapy in the form of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the efficacy of the vaccine has not been thoroughly studied, while a theoretical concern has also been raised about triggering immune-related adverse events (irAEs) by the vaccine. We conducted a prospective, non-interventional study on the immunogenicity and safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma treated with ICIs.

Neuromuscular Complications of Targeted Anticancer Agents: Can Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Induce Myasthenia Gravis? Getting Answers From a Case Report up to a Systematic Review.

More than 40 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have received hematological or oncological indications over the past 20 years, following the approval of imatinib, and many others are currently being tested in clinical and preclinical level. Beyond their common toxicities, no certain agent from this large class of molecularly targeted therapies was strongly associated with "off-target" impairment of neuromuscular transmission, and although myasthenia gravis (MG) is a well-characterized autoimmune disorder, only few sporadic events proven by serologically detected causative autoantibodies and/or by positive electrophysiological tests are reported in the literature. Herein, we present the first case of anti-MUSK (+) MG in a woman with metastatic BRAF-mutant melanoma after long-term treatment with dabrafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and trametinib (MEK inhibitor).

Combining BRAF/MEK Inhibitors with Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma.

The management and prognosis of BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma have changed drastically following the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecularly targeted agents. These treatment options present different mechanisms of action and toxicities but also totally distinct kinetics of their response, including a "relatively" short-lasting benefit in subsets of patients treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors and a lower response rate in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. BRAF/MEK inhibitors, when administered prior to or concurrently with immune checkpoint inhibitors, at least transiently alter some immunosuppressive parameters of the tumor microenvironment and theoretically improve sensitivity to immunotherapy.

Identifying the optimum first-line therapy in BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma.

: The emergence of molecularly targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors has positively revolutionized the management and prognosis of BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma. However, the availability of both therapeutic options, with their pros and cons, rationally triggered clinical considerations for the optimum frontline and subsequent treatment decisions.: Here, we debate all approved therapies in patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma evaluating their efficacy and safety based on their pivotal trials.

Significance of survivin mRNA blood levels in patients with melanoma.

Purpose: Survivin represents a key anti-apoptotic molecule that is highly expressed in the vast majority of tumors. The aim of the study was to examine the significance of survivin mRNA blood levels in melanoma patients.

Methods: In this prospective translational research study, survivin mRNA blood levels were measured in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon or systemic treatment for advanced disease.

A new mathematical model for the interpretation of translational research evaluating six CTLA-4 polymorphisms in high-risk melanoma patients receiving adjuvant interferon.

Adjuvant therapy of stage IIB/III melanoma with interferon reduces relapse and mortality by up to 33% but is accompanied by toxicity-related complications. Polymorphisms of the CTLA-4 gene associated with autoimmune diseases could help in identifying interferon treatment benefits. We previously genotyped 286 melanoma patients and 288 healthy (unrelated) individuals for six CTLA-4 polymorphisms (SNP).