Using anti-PD-1 therapy pre-surgery in melanoma patients can identify those most likely to benefit

(University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) Checkpoint inhibitors that block the protein PD-1 are used in melanoma patients after they've had surgery to remove their cancer, but not all patients benefit from the immunotherapy. Now a new study from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that shifting use of anti-PD-1 drugs to before surgery may provide clues about which patients will benefit and which may be at increased risk for recurrence.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news