Immunotherapy in advanced melanoma: crossing borders

Kooij, M.K. van der (2023)

Doctoral Thesis

Monique Krystyna van der Kooij shows that a combination of treatments enhancing the immune system can conquer metastasized melanoma in heavily pre-treated patients. Immunotherapy is not a new concept. However, in Leiden a milder, and therefore better tolerated preconditioning regimen is used before the immune cells are administered. This milder preconditioning, in combination with the patient’s own immune cells and an immune checkpoint inhibitor is unique. This thesis shows that this combination is safe and preliminary data also show that some patients have (lasting) clinical responses.

A second important finding described in this thesis is that treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors can safely be prescribed to patients with common autoimmune diseases. Approximately 1 in 10 metastatic melanoma patients suffer from such an autoimmune disease. Until now clinicians were hesitant to prescribe these immune checkpoint inhibitors out of fear of unleashing the autoimmune disease. Showing that this is not the case made it possible for this large group of patients to gain access to this often-successful treatment.

However, immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy is not indicated for all patients with metastatic melanoma. Patients with uveal melanoma do not benefit from this type of treatment, and do suffer from the adverse events.

• Metastatic melanoma
• Advanced melanoma
• Immunotherapy
• Adoptive cell therapy
• Immune checkpoint inhibitor
• Registry data

• All authors: Kooij, M.K. van der
• Supervisor: Burg, S.H. van der
• Co-supervisor: Kapiteijn, H.W.; Verdegaal, E.M.E.
• Committee: Svane, I.M.; Gruijl, T.D. de; Hage, J.A. van der; Groenwold, R.H.H.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University
• Date: 2023-03-30
• ISBN (print): 9789464730371